CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State softball team scored first but could not hold the lead against Oklahoma Christian falling 4-1 in the series finale Friday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
The Lady Eagles scored four unanswered runs over the final four innings to claim the series victory following a doubleheader split Thursday, despite being outhit 7-6 in the matinee.
 
The Hillcats got the scoring started in the bottom of the third as Ashleigh Stidman reached on an infield single with one out. Cailin Simpson walked pushing the junior into scoring position and Carley Conley delivered a sharp single up the middle plating Stidman from second for a 1-0 lead.
 
RSU starter Rachel Jones retired nine-straight batters after an error to open the game until a lead-off single by Courtney Starr in the top of the fourth broke the stretch. Starr moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score on Sheridan Bond's single evening the game, 1-1.
 
OC took its first lead of the game as Kendra Pierce came through with a two-out, two-run double into left center in the top of the fifth
 
Jamie Kowalick led the RSU fifth with a double into shallow left but was stranded there as OC's Shea Coats got the next three batters out in order. Simpson nearly put one over the fence in left in the seventh, but the strong north winds pushed the ball back into play for a double. The Lady Eagles got the final out keeping Simpson from scoring claiming the 4-1 win.
 
Seven different Hillcats registered one hit on the afternoon as Kowalick and Simpson both tallied extra-base hits as the team left eight runners on base and at least one in every inning except the first.
 
Jones (4-4) took the loss in the circle for RSU allowing three runs on five hits in six innings of work while Coats (8-7) got the win for the Lady Eagles scattering seven hits and one run across a complete game.
 
Rogers State (9-20, 5-12 HC) ends its longest homestand in program history Tuesday, April 7 hosting Northeastern State for a doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. Follow all the action live on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.