LUBBOCK, Texas – The Rogers State baseball team is making the most of its West Texas holiday with a doubleheader sweep over Lubbock Christian on Friday evening at Hays Field.
The back-to-back wins against the Chaps (20-20, 7-9) marks RSU's first conference series victory of the season as the Hillcats look to sweep the series Saturday with finale at 1 p.m.
RSU pounded out 33 hits in the twin bill with 11 different players driving in runs. In the opener, RSU took an early lead and fended off a LCU comeback bid to secure the, 10-6, win. In the nightcap, RSU jumped out to an early four-run lead in the second and led by as many as nine runs before the Chaps found their way onto the scoreboard. RSU completed the doubleheader sweep with an 11-2 win.
GAME ONE In the opener,
Trae BoBo and
Blake Gipson got the offense started in the second with consecutive singles through the left side of the infield. Both base runners moved into scoring position with a
Garrett Hall sacrifice bunt and BoBo scored on a sacrifice fly by
Zack Ashford.
Alex Cochran kept the inning alive with a two-out walk and
Chase Knott drove in a run with a RBI single to center, making it a 2-0 game.
RSU added a trio of runs in the third with a RBI double by Gipson and a two-RBI single by Hall.
The Chaps cut the deficit in the fourth with a Jose Favela two-RBI triple and Gerardo Arzaga RBI groundout.
The Hillcats answered in the top of the fifth with a five-spot to push the advantage to 10-3. All five runs came in a two-out rally started by Knott with a RBI ground-rule double. Kohlmeyer kept the scoring going with a two-run single while
Andrew Vanisi completed the scoring in the inning with a RBI double.
LCU held the Hillcats scoreless through the final two innings, posting a pair of runs in the sixth and one in the seventh but RSU held on for the, 10-6 victory.
Mason Marquette (5-5) registered the complete game win on the mound for the Hillcats. The senior southpaw allowed six runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
GAME TWO The Hillcats scored early and often in the nightcap while holding the Chaps scoreless until the seventh, registering an 11-2 victory.
Vanisi led off the second with a double and BoBo singled to put runners on the corners to start the inning. Gipson singled through the right side to drive in Vanisi and Ashford drove in a pair of runs with a triple to the right-center gap. Cochran capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to give RSU a 4-0 advantage.
In the third, Vanisi kept the inning alive with a two-out double and scored on a double by Gipson.
RSU struck again in the fourth, using four hits to drive in three runs.
Jordan Goode led off the frame with a triple and scored on a single to center by Cochran. Kohlmeyer tallied a RBI single and Vanisi belted a RBI single down the right field line to extend the Hillcat lead, 8-0.
BoBo hit a two-out double in the sixth and scored on a single to left center by Ashford. The Chaps avoided the shutout in the seventh with a pair of runs but RSU quickly erased them in the top of the eighth with a leadoff home run by Vanisi and a RBI single by Cochran.
Michael Fusselman (3-5) earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Vanisi registered four doubles in the doubleheader with four RBI.
Blake Gipson went 3-for-3 in game one and 2-for-3 in the nightcap.
Rogers State (14-23, 5-15) will look to sweep the three-game series Saturday at Hays Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
