CLAREMORE, Okla. – After advancing to the NCAA Division II Championship Game out of the loser's bracket, No. 1-seed Rogers State softball (51-10) claimed the championship after winning back-to-back games against No. 4-seed Minnesota State (48-14) on Saturday, including a wild 15-inning affair to open the day.
GAME 1 - RSU 8, MSU 2 15 Innings
The first game of the day was one for the record books as it became the longest game in RSU history, finishing in 15 innings.
With two of the nation's top pitchers doing battle, both teams knew coming in that runs would be hard to come by. In fact, neither starter game up a run in the first two and a half innings.
The Mavericks broke the seal in the bottom of the third with run to take an early 1-0 lead. Torey Richards drove in Cheyenne Behrends with a RBI single up the middle.
The Hillcats answered back in the top of the fifth and tied things up at 1-1. Callie Yellin worked a full count walk to leadoff the inning, and moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt from Kimberli Presnell. Chelsea Spain brought her in with a RBI single down the left field line.
Neither team was able to break the stalemate in the sixth or seventh innings, which forced the game into extras. In the two frames, both team combined for a single hit as Bridgett Morales led off the sixth with a single to left, but was left stranded with an infield pop up and two strikeouts.
RSU attempted to end the game at 2-1 as they pushed across a run in the top of the eighth. Makayla Bowman drove in Lana Gass with a RBI groundout to the second baseman. However, the Mavericks kept the game alive in the bottom half as Madi Newman launched a leadoff home run to left center to knot the game at 2-0.
Over the next six innings, both pitchers mowed down their opposition with the two teams combining for three hits and stranding 11 base runners. MSU's best chance at ending the game came in the bottom of the 11th as an error by the shortstop, a bunt single and an intentional walk loaded the bases with no outs. The Hillcats managed to work out of the jam with a foul out to third, a line out to second and a fly ball to left.
In the top of the 15th, Morales worked a full count walk with one out to put the go ahead run on base. On the very next pitch, Makayla Bowman uncorked on what would become the game winning, two run blast to left, scoring Morales. Presnell kept the offense rolling as she drove in Elexis Watson with a RBI double to left center. The hits kept coming as Nicole Price plated Jaylan Gibson with a RBI fielder's choice. The inning was capped off as Price crossed home plate thanks to a fielding error by the shortstop.
Andrea Morales (32-4) earned the complete game win going all 15.0 innings with seven strikeouts in 60 batters faced. Makenzie Ward (28-5) was equally outstanding in the loss as she went 14.2 innings striking out 14 batters with 266 pitches.
GAME 2 - RSU 4, MSU 0
After winning the first game, the two teams were forced into a second game because of Minnesota State only having one loss.
With both teams held scoreless in the opening frame, the Hillcats got on the board first with two runs in the second inning. Makayla Bowman reached first on a fielding error by the shortstop with two outs. Facing a 2-1 count, Elexis Watson blasted a two-run moonshot over the left center field wall, plating Bowman.
RSU tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to go up 4-0. After Bridgett Morales walked on a full count with one out, Bowman again went yard with her second two-run homer of the day to left.
Over the final three innings, both pitching staffs managed to lock things down and scatter a total of four hits and leave five runners stranded.
M'Kayla Hillman (16-6) was excellent in the complete game shutout scattering six hits with three strikeouts. Mackenzie Ward (28-7) took the loss after only throwing the first 2.0 innings.
With the two wins, the No. 1-seed Hillcats advance to the NCAA Division II Super Regional and will host No. 2-seed Central Oklahoma in a best-of-three series beginning on Thursday, May 19.
