Claremore, Okla. – The No. 16 Rogers State softball team opened up its 2021 season on Thursday with a doubleheader sweep of Cameron University at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
The Hillcats (2-0) picked up a shutout in game one, winning 9-0, and battled to a key win, 4-2, in game two, with homeruns from Danelle Day in both games to lead the offense in the season openers.
 
How It Happened (Game One): After a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in the top of the first from Andrea Morales, the Hillcats went right to work, picking up where they left off 2020, with four runs in the bottom of the first.
 
Mikayla Bowman started the scoring with an RBI single to right field, scoring Sabrina Anguiano for the opening run of the game. With the bases load a few batters later, Abigail Taylor doubled down the right-field line, bringing around Bowman and Tailee Reding to go up 3-0.
 
Elexis Watson capped off the inning with a single to left center, scoring Day for the final run of the inning.
 
The four runs would be all that Morales needed, as the junior tossed five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
 
After a scoreless second inning, Day started off the third inning with a towering homerun to left center to put the Hillcats ahead 5-0.
 
Later in the third, the Hillcats would add two more runs on another home run, this time off the bat of Watson, who hit a liner over the left field fence with Taylor on base.
 
Day would add another RBI in the fourth inning, as she grounded into a fielder's choice on the right side of the infield, allowing Reding to score from third.
 
Taylor would cap the scoring in game one with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bowman.
 
How It Happened (Game Two): Cameron threatened to score in the top of the first, but ultimately stranded two runners on. Rogers State then took advantage, scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning. Day hit her second homerun of the day with Bowman on base to put the Hillcats ahead 2-0 after one.
 
Hillcat pitcher Delanie Freeze then tossed a scoreless second and third innings before the Hillcats doubled their lead in the bottom of the third. Day picked up another RBI, as she singled through the left side, allowing Anguiano to score, before advancing to second.
 
In the next at bat, Watson doubled to left center scoring Day for what proved to be the final runs of the game for Rogers State.
 
Cameron would finally get on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a two-run double cutting the Hillcat lead in half. However, Freeze got the Hillcats out of the inning without any more damage.
 
The visitors would have one more big push in the seventh inning, loading the bases, but Freeze would get out of the jam with a strikeout to end the game.
 
Key Statistic: Between the two games, Cameron stranded 12 baserunners to just seven for the Hillcats.
 
Players of Note: Day was one of four Hillcats to finish the day with three hits in the game. Day hit her 43^rd and 44^th home runs of her career, and also had 5 RBIs, four runs and a walk.
 
Anguiano, Bowman and Watson all finished the day 3-for-6 at the plate and all three also had a double. Watson finished with four RBIs, and a run scored. Anguiano also had two runs scored. Bowman finished with three runs scored and an RBI.
 
Taylor finished the day 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, three RBIs, and a run scored,
 
Morales tossed five innings for the shutout win, scattering six hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.
 
Freeze allowed two runs on six hits and two walks. She also had four strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded to close the game.
 
Notes from the Game: Rogers State picked up it's 10^th win in a season opener, improving to 10-4 all-time in openers. The Hillcats have won four-straight season openers.
 
After starting the all-time series with Cameron 0-for-7, the Hillcats have won the last three games against the Aggies.
 
Up Next: Rogers State will hit the road and head to Tyler, Texas to take on Texas Woman's and UT Tyler in back-to-back games on Saturday. The Hillcats are set to face Texas Woman's at Tyler at 3 p.m. Rogers State will face Texas-Tyler afterward, with first pitch scheduled for 5:30 p.m.