SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Rogers State Softball team picked up a doubleheader split with St. Mary's Saturday afternoon in Heartland Conference play, falling 5-1 in game one before coming back with an 8-0 victory in game two.
Danelle Day led the way offensively for the Hillcats, hitting homeruns in both games, including two in game two as she moves to 10 homeruns, extending her lead in the Heartland Conference and moving into third in NCAA Division II.
Andrea Morales also picked up her sixth shutout of the season in game two, extending her lead in the conference and pulling into one of the national leader.
Morales tossed all seven innings, scattering three hits and a walk with eight strikeouts. It is her second shutout this week, as she also tossed a shutout against Lubbock Christian earlier in the week.
Morales got plenty of run support, as the Hillcats finished with 10 hits.
Katelyn Gamble started the scoring with a double to left field that scored
Taylor Malett and
Abigail Taylor.
Day would hit her first homerun of game two in the fifth inning, taking a 3-1 pitch over the left-centerfield fence.
Tailee Reding would then homer in the sixth, driving a 1-0 pitch to left, putting Rogers State ahead 4-0.
Day would hit her second homerun in the seventh inning, this time going to right center field.
The Hillcats wouldn't be finished though, as Malett hit a three-run homerun to left field to cap the games scoring.
In game one, the Hillcats fell behind early, as St. Mary's jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The would add one more run in the fourth,
Day would hit her first homerun of the afternoon in the sixth inning, as she would score the only run of the game for the Hillcats.
Reding picked up the loss, giving up the four runs in the first.
Edie Fairchild pitched well in relief, allowing just one run on five hits with two strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.
The Hillcats will look to take the series on Sunday, as they face St. Mary's in the rubber match. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.
