MCPHERSON, Kan.- The Rogers State softball team posted a 4-1 record over the weekend at the McPherson Round Robin in McPherson, Kan.
The Cats earned a pair of run rule victories on Friday afternoon before falling in the final game of the day against Friends University (Kan.), 5-1 in the seventh inning. RSU bounced back on Saturday as it closed out the weekend with a pair of wins over Bethany College and host McPherson.
GAME ONE (Bethel College)
Bethel College (Kan.) opened the game with a 2-0 lead in the first frame with a two RBI single up the middle by catcher Mary Sheridan.
The BC lead was short-lived as the Hillcats answered in the top of the second with four runs. With bases loaded, Kaitlin McCool reached base on an error by the third baseman, allowing a run to score. Pitcher Sarah Cunningham went on to walk in three more runs to give the Hillcat the lead.
RSU added to its advantage in the third with a pair of runs on one hit with the help of a BC error. With two outs, Laura Fleck earned a walk and scored on an error. Ashlie Fauchier registered a RBI double to give the Cats a 6-2 lead.
Fleck tallied a two-run single to center and McCool followed with a two RBI double in the fourth to give the Hillcats some insurance. Linsey Curtis rounded out the scoring for the Hillcats with a full-count solo shot over the center field fence.
Bethel managed one run in the bottom of the fifth, however the Hillcats earned the five-inning run-rule.
Curtis tallied the win in the circle for RSU as she tossed the final four innings and allowed one earned run on two hits with one strikeout.
GAME TWO (Sterling College)
The Hillcats scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to a 10-2 run-rule victory in six innings. Shona Guerrero blasted a two-run homer in the first frame to ignite the RSU offense. The British Columbia native struck again in the third with a two-run homer. Taran Threet capped off the scoring in the inning with a three-run home run over the left field fence.
SC dented the scoreboard in the top of the sixth with two runs on one hit with the help of two RSU errors. The Hillcats ended the game early in the bottom on the inning as Fauchier stole home and Curtis tallied a two-run home.
Curtis earned the complete-game win in the circle as she allowed two unearned runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
GAME THREE (Friends University)
An RBI single by Nikki Keck in the bottom of the fourth was the lone run of the game until the top of the seventh.
The Falcons rallied to score five runs on four hits with the help of two RSU errors in the top of the seventh. RSU left two runners stranded in the bottom of the inning as the Hillcats fell 5-1.
Fleck was tagged with the complete-game loss as she allowed five runs, three earned on six hits with 11 strikeouts.
GAME FOUR (Bethany College)
The Hillcats staged a come-from-behind victory against Bethany College on Saturday morning.
The Swedes jumped out to an early lead as they plated two runs in the first frame. Three costly Hillcat errors in the fifth inning led to two more runs for the Swedes. RSU's rally sparked in the bottom of the fifth frame. Katrina Loy belted a bases loaded single to center field to put the Cats on the board.
Bethany answered in the top of the sixth with a RBI ground out by Brittany Lewis and increased its lead to 5-2.
RSU knotted the score in the bottom of the sixth. Keck led off the inning with a single through the middle and Kristin Leppla followed with a two-run blast over the left field fence. McCool tied the game as she scored on a wild throw by the shortstop.
Fleck faced the minimum in the top of the seventh and Curtis led off the bottom of the inning with a single. With two strikes against her, Threet followed with a two-run homer over the center field fence as the Cats walked off with the win.
Fleck earned the complete-game win as she allowed five runs, three earned, on 11 hits with on strikeout and no walks.
GAME FIVE (McPherson College)
The Hillcats fell behind early against McPherson but battled back to earn a 9-3 victory in the final game of the weekend.
Allison Love put the Lady Bulldogs on the board in the bottom of the second with a RBI single in the right-center field gap. They tacked on two more runs in the second with a leadoff solo shot by Katie Logan followed by a solo homer by Ariel McGee.
RSU got on the scoreboard and took the lead with four runs in the fourth frame. With runners on first and third, Curtis drove both runs in with a double off the wall in right-center field. Curtis scored on a single through the right side of the infield by Threet. A MC error sent Threet home and gave the Cats the lead.
The Hillcats piled on some insurance runs in the fifth with a two-run homer over the center field fence by Guerrero. Loy followed with a solo shot to give RSU a 7-3 advantage. Leppla led off the sixth with a first pitch homer over the left field fence and Fauchier closed out the scoring with a RBI groundout.
Fleck registered the win in the circle as she tossed the complete game and allowed three runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
