CLAREMORE, Okla. – No. 6 Rogers State softball (41-9, 17-6 MIAA) took care of business with a doubleheader sweep of Fort Hays State (23-18-1, 9-15 MIAA) on Friday to open up the final homestand of the regular season.
GAME ONE - RSU 1, FHSU 0
The first game of the day saw one of the rarest and most difficult feats in softball as Andrea Morales tossed her first career perfect game, and only the second one in school history joining teammate M'Kayla Hillman, who was perfect against Texas Woman's on Feb. 19, 2020 at the Diamond Sports Complex. Morales also now owns the sixth no-hitter in program history, the second of her career.
In total, Morales (24-3) earned the win with 14 of 21 outs coming by way of strikeout, fanning eight of the first nine Tigers she faced. The remaining seven outs came from four fly outs and three ground outs.
With only four hits, the Hillcats got their lone run in the bottom of the second as Elexis Watson went yard with a solo shot, depositing a ball just beyond the left center wall with two outs.
GAME TWO - RSU 2, FHSU 0
The second game was just as impressive from a pitching standpoint as both starters worked a no-hitter throughout the first two innings.
The Tigers ended the hitting stalemate with a single up the middle in the top of the third. However, the runner was gunned down during the next at-bat trying to steal second. They would get two more base runners on with a single and walk in the fifth inning, but left them stranded.
The Hillcats were held hitless for 5.1 innings until Kimberli Presnell broke up the no-no bid with a single thought the left side of the infield with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Lana Gass broke the scoring seal as she drove in Presnell later in the inning with a RBI single to left. Elexis Watson put RSU up 2-0 as she plated Nicole Price with a RBI single to right.
M'Kayla Hillman (14-6) worked a quiet, 1-2-3 seventh inning to complete the two-hit shutout and earn the win. Bailey Carlson (4-7) took the loss.
The Hillcats will close out the regular season tomorrow against Nebraska-Kearney on Senior Day. First pitch for the doubleheader is set for 12 p.m. with the ceremony honoring the five Hillcat seniors beginning at 11:30 a.m.
