CLAREMORE, Okla. - Rogers State baseball (29-19, 19-17 MIAA) closed out the regular season with a bang as they exploded late to complete the series sweep of No. 19 Fort Hays State (32-14, 26-9 MIAA) with an 11-1 win in eight innings on Senior Day Saturday.

"That was a fun one," said head coach Chris Klimas. "You always want to be playing your best baseball going into the postseason. To go beat a team like that, who has been a monster all year, gives you a lot of confidence. I couldn't be more proud of our guys, and I think they're fired up for the MIAA Tournament next week and the opportunity it presents."

Andrew Ramirez tied both the single season home run record and the Division II Era single season RBI record in the game. His 13 round-trippers tie him with Blake Kelley (2008) and Cody Campbell (2011). His 59 RBIs tie him with Grant Farris (2019).

The game looked to be a pitchers' duel early on with neither starter allowing a run in the first three frames. In that span, they combined to scatter three hits and leave five runners stranded.

The Hillcats broke the ice in the fourth with a 1-0 lead as Weston Peninger unloaded on a 1-1 pitch for a towering, leadoff homer to straightaway center. 

The Tigers answered in the top of the fifth with their own solo shot to center to knot things back at 1-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Hillcats went back up 3-1. Carson Cheatwood led off with a single to right and then stole second. Ramirez blasted his record-tying, two-run no-doubter over the left field wall, scoring Cheatwood.

The RSU bats exploded in the eighth inning as they pushed across eight runs to capture the 11-1 win. Andres Contreras started things with an RBI double to left that plated Jackson Romero. He later scored from third on a fielding error by the shortstop. Ramirez drove in Jake Mitchell with a single through the left side of the infield. Peninger brought home Luis Fuentes with a base hit to left. Blake Nichols dropped a two RBI single into right, allowing Nelson and Ramirez to cross home. Contreras walked the game off with another double, this time to left center and scored Nichols.

Colton Anderson (8-4) earned the win after working the final 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, scattering one hit. Christopher Spry was also excellent in his 6.0 inning start as he only allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts.

With the win, the Hillcats earned the No. 5 seed in the MIAA Tournament and will travel to Joplin, Mo. on Thursday, May 8 to face off against No. 4-seed Central Oklahoma in the quarterfinal round. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.