MARYVILLE, Mo. – Rogers State baseball opened up the weekend series at Northwest Missouri State with a pair of 5-2 defeats against the Bearcats at the Bearcat Baseball Field.
GAME ONE
Rogers State 2, Northwest Missouri 5
Records: Rogers State (7-4, 4-3 MIAA) | Northwest Missouri (5-6, 3-4 MIAA)
W: Alex Slocum (2-0) |
L: CJ Edwards (1-1)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hillcats jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the top of the first.
Jonathan Soto hit an RBI double down the left-field line to score
Christian Merriwether from first.
Soto then scored from second on a RBI single up the middle from
Skyler Nelson.
Jackson Simonsgaard was dominant on the mound early, recording nine strikeouts in the first four innings, including striking out the side in the fourth as he held the hosts scoreless into the fifth inning.
Northwest Missouri picked up their first run with a two-out single in the fifth to score a runner from second.
The Bearcats would load the bases in the sixth inning and tied the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice fly. Simonsgaard got out of the jam without anymore runs after picking off the base runner on first.
After a scoreless seventh, the hosts would take the lead in the eighth, capitalizing on a pair of errors to score three unearned runs in the inning to secure the win.
GAME NOTES
- Simonsgaard recorded 10 strikeouts for the first time this season and matched a career high set last year against UMary.
- Simonsgaard's striking out the side in the fourth was the first of the season for the Hillcats.
- Simonsgaard passed Tim Luce (122) for fourth all time on the RSU strike out list. He currently sits at 131, five behind Tyler Garner (136) for third.
- Soto recorded his third multi-hit game of the season.
- With a hit and hit by pitch, Merriwether extended his reached base streak to 16 games.
- First time in seven games the Hillcats committed 2+ errors in a game.
- Kyle Simms team high hit streak was snapped at seven games.
GAME TWO
Rogers State 2, Northwest Missouri 5
Records: Rogers State (7-5, 4-4 MIAA) | Northwest Missouri (6-6, 4-4 MIAA)
W: Spencer Hanson (2-0) |
L: Brett Karalius (2-1) |
S: Alex Slocum (2)
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats were the first to score in game two, plating two runs in the bottom of the first as they capitalized on a Hillcat error.
Soto got one run back for the Hillcats in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to score Merriwether, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
Northwest Missouri would restore a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth, executing a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and third.
In the eighth inning, the Bearcats extended the lead with a two-RBI double to right center, scoring runners from second and third to go up 5-1.
The Hillcats would get two runners on in the ninth and eventually plated one run as
Erick Leef grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed
Brandon Bradshaw to score from third for the final run of the game.
GAME NOTES
- Brett Karalius allowed just one earned run in the loss, striking out five in five innings of work.
- Nelson recorded the only hit of the game for the Hillcats with a double.
- With a walk and two hit by pitches, Merriwether extended his reached base streak to 17 games.
- Jerry Davis' reached base streak of 11 games to begin his Hillcat career was snapped.
- Bradshaw became the second Hillcat to record three walks in a game this season.
- With the loss, the Hillcats drop their second MIAA series of the season.
- Rogers State as an athletic department falls to 0-6 in all competitions at Northwest Missouri.
UP NEXT
Rogers State will wrap up the three-game series with Northwest Missouri on Saturday with the Hillcats looking to avoid the sweep. First pitch in the finale is set for 3 p.m. at the Bearcat Baseball Field.
