EMPORIA, Kan. – The Rogers State baseball team held on to pick up a thrilling high-scoring victory in the series opener at Emporia State on Friday afternoon, winning 18-15 in game one of the weekend series at the Trusler Sports Complex on Glennon Field.
 
Rogers State 18, Emporia State 15
Records:  Rogers State (11-6, 8-5 MIAA) | Emporia State (6-12, 3-10 MIAA)
W: C.J. Edwards (2-1) | L: Coleton Crisp (0-1) | S: Jordan Ewig (3) 
 
How It Happened

• The Hillcats began the game strong, as they score five runs in the top of the first inning. Skyler Nelson would score the game's first run after Jonathan Soto was walked with the bases loaded. Mason Harvey would then hit a grand slam on the next at-bat for the Hillcats, scoring Soto, Jerry Davis, and Brandon Bradshaw, to give the Hillcats a five-run advantage.
• The Hornets would respond with a pair of runs in the first, with a two-RBI double leading two runners in.
• In the second, an RBI single to left field from Bradshaw would send Preston Horn in for the Hillcats sixth run of the contest.
• However, the Hornets would respond in the bottom of the second with a grand slam of their own to even the score at six a piece.
• A safety squeeze sacrifice bunt from Christian Merriwether in the top of the third would send Harvey in for his second run of the game, as RSU went up 7-6.
• Emporia State would take their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third after a two-run homer. Two more Hornets scored in the inning on a Rogers State error, as the hosts led 10-7 after three.
• The Hornets would plate another run in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single to right field.
• Rogers State would respond with a big fifth inning with six runs. An RBI double from Victor Ceniceros would send Soto and Harvey in for the eighth and ninth runs of the game.
• Brooks Betcher would score his first run of the game after Merriwether hit an RBI single to the right side.
• Horn would add to his RBI total, as he brought Ceniceros in after hitting a single to left field.
• The final two runs of the inning came off of a two-RBI double to right-center from Nelson that sent in Horn and Merriwether, to give the Hillcats the 13-11 advantage.
• The Hornets would add a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth to make it a one-run game.
• In the top of the sixth inning, an RBI single from Ceniceros would send Harvey in for the 14th run. However, the Hornets would score two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
• Soto hit a solo homer in the top of the seventh to left field, to give the Hillcats the lead once again.
• However, Emporia State would hit a solo homer to left-center to tie the game going into the final inning.
• Harvey would seal the win for the Hillcats in the ninth with a three-run homer to score Soto and Bradshaw.
• The Hillcats would allow only one hit in the ninth.

Game Notes

• Harvey went 5-for-6 from the plate for the day, with seven RBIs and two home runs.
• Soto went 2-for-4 from the plate. He had a pair of RBIs, two walks, and a home run.
• Davis, Bradshaw, and Horn were all walked at the plate as well.
• C.J. Edwards picked up the win for the Hillcats on the mound, while Jordan Ewig picked up the save with three strikeouts and one run allowed in two innings of play. Brent Dicky had a team-high five strikeouts.
• Each team had 18 hits on the day. The 18 hits are a season-high for the Hillcats.

 
Up Next
Rogers State will wrap up the series on Saturday in Emporia, Kansas, taking on Emporia State in the final two games of the three-game series. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at noon at the Trusler Sports Complex.