OKALHOMA CITY, Okla. - The Rogers State softball team ended its season at the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon as the Hillcats lost consecutive one-run games to eliminate them from contention at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
In the opener, second-seeded Lubbock Christian plated the lone run of the contest in the third inning, securing a 1-0 win and sending the seventh-seeded Hillcats to the loser's bracket in the double elimination tournament. Sixth-seeded University of Science and Arts staged a come-from behind victory over the Cats in game two with an extra innings 2-1 win over RSU.
GAME ONE
The Hillcats tallied six hits but were unable to push a run across home plate as LCU clipped RSU 1-0 in the opening game of the SAC Tournament.
The game started with back-to-back scoreless innings before the Chaparrals dented the scoreboard in the top of the third. Brittany Kent led off the inning with a stand-up double off the right field fence. Sarah Mendez followed with a single to put runners on the corners and Kim Frasier walked to load the bases with no outs. Andrea Argee followed; hitting the ball to shallow center field but second baseman Megan Williams made a running catch and threw the ball to shortstop Ashlie Fauchier at second for the double play. With two out, Kent scored from third on a wild pitch to give LCU the lead.
Kaitlin MCool doubled off the wall in left-center field to put runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning but the Hillcats failed to capitalize.
In the bottom of the seventh, Linsey Curtis led off the inning and belted the ball over the center field fence but Kent made the catch over the wall to preserve the Chaps lead. LCU pitcher Megan Navarette retired the next two Hillcat hitters to earn a 1-0 win.
Laura Fleck (28-20) was tagged with the loss for RSU, allowing one run on eight hits.
GAME TWO
RSU ended the season in heartbreaking fashion in game two as the University of Science and Arts rallied to defeat the Hillcats in extra innings, 2-1, knocking them out of the tournament.
RSU left runners on base in three of the first four innings before taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth. Laura Fleck led off the inning with a blooper into shallow left field. Nikki Keck reached on a throwing error by the third baseman to put runners on the corners with one out. McCool drove Fleck in with a single down the right field line to give RSU the lead.
USAO battled back in the bottom of the seventh, putting runners on first and second. With two outs, Ashley Mitchel belted a RBI single to shallow right field to knot the game.
Fauchier tallied a one-out single in the top of the eighth but the Hillcat offense couldn't get anything going. In the bottom of the inning, USAO tallied two hits and a walk to load the bases with two outs. However, Fleck threw a pitch in the dirt that Keck couldn't handle and the ball rolled to the backstop, allowing the game-winning run to score.
Fleck (28-21) was tagged with the loss in the circle for RSU as she tossed the complete-game and allowed two runs, one earned, on 10 hits with four strikeouts.
Elizabeth Agpalo (9-5) registered the complete-game victory in the circle for USAO as she allowed just one unearned run on four hits with three strikeouts.
The Hillcats end their season with a 36-23 overall record and 9-17 in conference play.
