CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State softball team swept a doubleheader with Missouri S&T on Saturday (March 4) by the scores of 5-3 and 4-1 at the Diamond Sports Complex. With the wins, the Hillcats (16-3) won eight-straight games, their second eight-game winning streak this season.
Rogers State 5, Missouri S&T 3
Senior catcher
Arika Araujo hit the game-winning walk-off two-run home run in the eighth inning to propel the Hillcats to a 5-3 victory in game one.
Starting with
Kenzi Ziem at second due to the international tiebreak rule,
Kayla Patterson used a sac bunt to advance Ziem to third. Needing only a run to win, Araujo knocked the home run to left to end the game and gave the Cats the 5-3 win.
Senior
Morgen Blanchard forced the game into extra innings with a solo home run. With the Cats down 3-2 and two outs, Blanchard hit the solo home run to left center to tie the score at 3-3.
The navy and red build an early 2-0 in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Araujo doubled to the wall in left center to score
De'Leigh Emarthle and Blanchard for the 2-0 advantage.
Missouri S&T cut into the two-run deficit with an infield single in the second inning to plate one run for a 2-1 score. A two-run home run by Kelly Heckmeyer gave the Miners the 3-2 advantage in the third.
The home run snapped Megan Roswell's 25-inning streak without allowing an earned run. The junior pitcher registered the win in game one, going the full 8.0 innings. She allowed the two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts.
The senior duo of Araujo and Blanchard totaled all five RBI and combined to go 4-for-8 at the plate. Araujo finished 2-for-4 hitting with four RBI. Blanchard was 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Rogers State 4, Missouri S&T 1
The navy and red posted all four runs in the second inning to pull away for a 4-1 win in the nightcap.
Mikayla Waggnor opened the scoring as she came home due to a fielding error. With the Cats still in the inning due to the miscue, Blanchard added her second home run of the day, a three-run shot to left, to increase the RSU edge to 4-0.
With the bases loaded in the seventh, freshman
Edie Fairchild worked out of the jam to lift the Cats to the 4-1 win. After allowing a run on a fielder's choice, Fairchild struck out the final Miner batter for the victory.
Roswell started in the circle, going the first 3.0 innings. She allowed one hit with two strikeouts.
Mayra Helguera came in for 3.1 innings of relief and picked up the win to move to 2-0 on the season. Fairchild earned the save, her first of the season.
Blanchard posted a 2-for-3 hitting performance with three RBI. For the two games, Blanchard went 4-for-7 with four RBI.
The Hillcats go on the road for 16-straight games, starting at Oklahoma Christian, the No. 1-ranked team in the NAIA, on Tuesday (March 7) in Oklahoma City. Live stats and video will be available for the doubleheader.
