CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State Baseball team got off to a sluggish start and couldn't overcome the deficit, falling to Texas A&M International 13-5 in the series finale on Friday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex.
TAMIU pounded out 22 hits in the affair and jumped out to a 8-0 lead in the contest. The Dustdevils strung together a pair of hits to plate a run in the top of the first, before adding three runs in the second and four in the third.
The Hillcats cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the third. With two outs,
Johan Ochoa kept the inning alive with a bunt single.
Alex Cochran followed a full count walk and
Caleb Kohlmeyer belted a RBI single to left field, putting RSU on the board.
RSU continued to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the fourth with the help of a Dustdevil error.
Andrew Vanisi led off the frame with a single dropped into right field and later advanced to second on an error by the catcher.
Chase Knott flew out to deep center field, allowing Vanisi to reach third and he scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 8-2.
In the fifth,
Garrett Hall led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Ochoa followed with a double to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Kohlmeyer hit a one-out sacrifice fly to bring Hall home and Ochoa scored on a RBI single by
Cesar Rodriguez to cut the Dustdevil lead to 8-4.
After holding the Dustdevils scoreless for three innings and cutting the deficit in half, the four runs the Hillcats tallied in the comeback attempt were erased with the four runs scored by TAMIU in the top of the seventh.
The Dustdevils added a final run in the top of the eighth. RSU managed one run in the ninth but couldn't complete the rally.
Garrett Taggert (1-4) earned the win for TAMIU allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits.
Matthew Shepard (2-4) was tagged with the loss, lasting 2.2 innings, giving up seven runs on 10 hits.
Rogers State (11-20, 3-12 HC) will return to action on action on Tuesday as the Hillcats travel to Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant, Okla. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
