AUSTIN, Texas – The Rogers State softball team opened the Heartland Conference schedule with a doubleheader sweep at St. Edward's on Sunday (Feb. 25) at Diane Daniels Field. The Hillcats earned 11-6 and 4-1 victories to run their winning streak to nine-straight games, their longest winning streak since the 2013 season when the navy and red started the season 30-0.
 
RSU 11, SEU 6
 
The Cats (13-4, 2-0 Heartland Conference) rallied from a 6-4 deficit to win game one, 11-6, with seven runs in the final four innings, all on home runs. Trailing 6-4 in the fourth, freshman infielder Rylee DeLozier gave the navy and red the lead with a three-run homer to left field for a 7-6 score. Danelle Day added a two-run home run in the fifth inning to increase the RSU advantage to 9-6.
 
The Hillcats weren't done as Merissa Smith went deep in the seventh inning, knocking out a two-run homer to right for the 11-6 final score.
 
RSU went in front 4-0 after the top of the first inning in the game. Day drove in a run with a single to right, and a bases loaded walk made it 2-0. AJ Waggnor plated one run with a single, and Katelyn Gamble's infield single allowed one more run to score for the 4-0 margin.
 
The Hilltoppers got one run in the bottom of the first on a sac fly, and used home runs in the second and third innings to go in front 6-4 before the RSU rally.
 
Gamble was 3-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Day finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Smith posted a 2-for-4 game one performance with two RBI.
 
Tailee Reding came in for the final 4.0 innings in the circle and got the win. She totaled three strikeouts and zero hits in 12 at-bats. Andrea Morales started and went 2.0 innings, and Sierra Skaggs pitched 1.0 inning.
 
RSU 4, SEU 1
 
After allowing an early run in the nightcap, the Hillcats responded with two runs in the second and added two more runs late in the game for the 4-1 victory in game two.
 
SEU scored first in the first inning on an RBI double for an early 1-0 score.
 
In the second inning, Smith singled up the middle to score two runs for a 2-1 edge for the navy and red.
 
Taylor Santistevan singled in a run in the fifth inning to up the score to 3-1, and Day doubled to left for the final 4-1 margin.
 
DeLozier was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with one run scored. Santistevan went 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
Alex Brake started in the circle, going 3.2 innings and allowing only one run on three hits. Reding once again came in for relief and went 3.1 innings with three hits allowed and zero runs. She earned the win to go 2-0 on the day and move to 5-0 on the season.
 
The Hillcats return home for a nine-game homestand at the Diamond Sports Complex. The stretch starts with Missouri Southern on Wednesday (Feb. 28) at 3 p.m. in a doubleheader. Coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network.