CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State softball team won its 17th straight game with a Heartland Conference doubleheader sweep of St. Edward's on Friday (March 9) at the Diamond Sports Complex. The Hillcats (21-4, 6-0 Heartland) blanked the Hilltoppers in game one, 6-0, and pulled away late for an 11-3 victory in game two.
 
In both games, the navy and red plated late runs to cruise to the victories and increased the Cats' winning streak to 17 games, their longest since starting 30-0 in 2013.
 
RSU 6, SEU 0
 
The Hillcats poured on five late runs to roll to the 6-0 victory on game one and used another strong pitching performance from senior Alex Brake.
 
After Taylor Santistevan drove in a run in the first inning for a 1-0 score, RSU added runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take the 6-0 win. Rylee DeLozier knocked out a two-run homer to left field for a 3-0 score in the fifth inning. Allie McFetridge added a solo home run in the fifth to make it 4-0. Danelle Day singled to the gap in left to plate two runs in the sixth for the 6-0 final score.
 
Brake, a two-time Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Week, pitched her fourth complete game shutout this season. She earned the win in the circle, allowing only three hits with two strikeouts in 7.0 innings in only 60 pitches. She moved to 7-1 on the season and posted her third straight win.
 
Day was 1-for-2 with two RBI, and DeLozier finished at 1-for-3 with two RBI.
 
RSU 11, SEU 3
 
After falling behind early at 3-2, the Cats plated nine straight runs in four innings to rally for the 11-3 win in six innings due to the run rule.
 
DeLozier gave the navy and red an early 2-0 edge with her second home run of the day to left field in the second inning.
 
The Hilltoppers took their only lead of the doubleheader in the third inning with a three-run home run to center field for a 3-2 margin.
 
It was all Hillcats for the rest of the game as they tallied nine straight runs. In the bottom of the third inning, Merissa Smith tied the score at 3-3 with a solo home run to center.
 
The Cats got going late with eight runs in the final three innings. Katelyn Gamble doubled to left to drive in Megan Scott for the go-ahead run. Smith plated two runs with a single to right for a 6-3 advantage after four innings.
 
Day knocked out a solo home run to left to start the scoring in the fifth inning. Scott added another run in the inning with a single to score Brooke Tyler to make it 8-3.
 
RSU added three runs in the sixth to end the game early due to the run rule. Tailee Reding scored from third on a wild pitch, and Santistevan knocked out a two-run home run to left to increase the score to 11-3 and end the contest.
 
The freshmen pitching duo of Andrea Morales and Reding combined for the 6.0 innings. Morales moved to 7-3 on the season as she went the first 4.0 innings and allowed only five hits and three runs. Reding earned the save, going the final 2.0 innings with one strikeout and one hit.
 
In game two, Smith went 2-for-4 with three RBI. McFetridge was 2-for-4.
 
The Hillcats hit four home runs in game two and totaled six home runs in the doubleheader. DeLozier (2), McFetridge, Smith, Day and Santistevan all posted homers in the doubleheader.
 
The navy and red conclude the three-game series on Saturday with one game at 12 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex. Live coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.