JOPLIN, Mo. – Rogers State softball (43-13) took down both Minnesota Duluth (40-11) and host Missouri Southern (40-13) in back-to-back elimination games on Friday to earn their second-straight berth to the Central Region Championship.
 
GAME 1 – RSU 4, UMD 3
 
The first game of the day looked to be a pitcher's duel as neither starter allowed a run in the first three innings, scattering a combined three hits.
 
The Bulldogs broke the stalemate in the fourth inning as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Two RBI singles drove in the runs.
 
The Hillcats got a run back in the home half to cut the deficit to 2-1 as Abbey Rogers unloaded on a 2-1 pitch sending it careening over the center field wall.
 
RSU took their first lead of the game in the fifth at 3-2. Rogers again played hero as she drove in Chelsea Spain and Nicole Price with a single to left.
 
UMD tied things up in the top of the seventh at 3-3 with a run scoring on a sacrifice fly to left.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Paxton Donaldson earned a 3-1 walk with one out to put a runner on base. A sacrifice bunt followed by back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs. Callie Yellin came to the plate and worked the count full before taking a high ball four, walking the game off 4-3 with a bases loaded walk.
 
Jade Sanders (18-7) earned the complete game win allowing two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Allyssa Williams (0-5) took the loss.
 
GAME 2 – RSU 4, MSSU 0
 
In the second game of the day, the Hillcats got on the board first with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. After Lana Gass was hit by a pitch to start the home half and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, Bridgett Morales launched a towering moon shot deep to left center.
 
Over the following three innings, the two pitching staffs refused to give up a run and only allowed three total hits.
 
RSU tacked on another run in the fifth to extend their lead out to 3-0 as Callie Yellin belted a double off the center field wall that scored both Natalie Gonzalez and Beth Denney.
 
They added a final run in the sixth to go up 4-0 thanks to a bases loaded walk to Samantha Farris that scored Chelsea Spain.
 
Sara Llamas-Howell (22-2) earned the complete game shutout scattering six hits and striking out 10 Lions. Kara Amos (3-5) took the loss.
 
With the two wins today, the Hillcats earned a spot in the regional final where they must defeat Southern Arkansas twice to claim the Central Regional Championship and advance to the Super Regional. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.