SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Rogers State softball team opened Heartland Conference play in near freezing temperatures and rainy conditions at No. 5 St. Mary's falling twice Friday 13-0 and 6-1 at the Softball Stadium.
 
GAME ONE
The Rattlers struck early and often cruising to the conference-opening victory behind 14 walks from the RSU pitching staff facing the adverse elements.
 
StMU drew back-to-back walks to start the game and scored four runs in the first crossing the plate twice on RBI groundouts. The Hillcats threatened to cut into the deficit in the second loading the bases with three walks but Chelsie Drew struck out with two outs ending the frame.
 
Taylor Vidrine added a bases-loaded single scoring two after one out in the second for a 6-0 advantage before the rains forced a weather delay and a pitching change for RSU as Rachel Jones replaced Bailee Kaderka. Another RBI single by the Rattlers and a walk with the bases full made it an 8-0 game. Sydney Wellmann hit a three-run home run in the third as StMU closed out the scoring in the 13-0 short-inning game.
 
Kaderka suffered the loss while Vianna Gutierrez got the win despite walking five in three innings moving to 9-1 on the season.
 
GAME TWO
The second game of the doubleheader saw the Hillcats jump in front early scoring in the second inning as Malori Moss connected on a Hope Russell pitch for her first home run of the season and a 1-0 RSU lead.
 
StMU scored in each of the next four innings tallying six unanswered runs to get the Friday sweep. Nicole Sardelich tied the game, 1-1, with an RBI single in the third and drove in two more on a double in the Rattler's three-run fourth. Insurance markers in the fifth and sixth pushed the lead to five for the nationally-ranked home side.
 
RSU got two runners on base in the seventh as Moss doubled to start the inning and Katlin Alexander reached on a two-out walk. Kristi Rangel closed the door on any comeback bid as StMU won 6-1 in game two.
 
The Hillcats (1-7 overall, 0-2 HC) and Rattlers close the conference-opening series Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. at the Softball Stadium in San Antonio, Texas.