CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Rogers State softball team dropped a pair of games to No. 18 St. Gregory's on Tuesday afternoon at Hillcat Complex.
The Hillcats were unable to hold onto a 1-0 lead in the opener as the Lady Cavaliers rallied to score two runs in the top of the sixth and earned the 2-1 win. SGU never trailed in the nightcap and tallied a 5-1 win.
GAME ONE
The Hillcats took an early lead as Kaitlin McCool belted a two-out solo shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the third.
RSU clung to the lead through the fourth and fifth frames; however SGU rallied to score a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Pinch hitter Courtney Dotson led off the inning with a single to left field. A sacrifice bunt put pinch runner Blair Ward on second while back-to-back singles brought her home to tie the game. Allison Conyers hit a RBI double with two outs to give SGU the lead.
Conyers (13-2) faced the minimum in the circle in the bottom of the sixth and kept the Hillcats scoreless in the seventh as she earned the win, allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings pitched.
Freshman pitcher Laura Fleck (23-7) received the loss for the Hillcats as she tossed the complete game and allowed two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
GAME TWO
SGU took an early lead in the nightcap with some help from the RSU defense as the Hillcats committed an error that allowed a run to score in the top of the first.
RSU answered in the bottom of the second, tying the game 1-1. Taran Threet led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a double by Linsey Curtis. Threet scored on a fielder's choice by Niki Keck to put the Cats on the board.
After a scoreless third inning, SGU regained the lead in the top of the fourth. The Lady Cavaliers strung together three hits to score three run, giving them a 4-1 advantage. SGU tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh while Conyers allowed just one hit over the final four innings, earning the win in the circle for the Lady Cavs.
Fleck (23-8) took the loss in the circle as she hurled the first four innings of the game and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits with two walks.
Rogers State (31-10, 4-6) returns to the diamond on Thursday as the Hillcats host No. 6 Lubbock Christian at Hillcat Complex. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.
