CLAREMORE, Okla. — No. 18 Rogers State softball (7-2) finished undefeated at the inaugural Rogers State Softball Festival, securing two more victories: a 4-2 win over Midwestern State (2-5) and a narrow 1-0 shutout against Southwestern Oklahoma State (2-7).
GAME ONE: RSU 4, MSU 2
In the first game against Midwestern State, RSU capitalized on the Mustangs' four errors, scoring three game-defining runs in the third inning. The game began with neither team scoring in the first two innings.
Jaden Jordan reached on a fielding error, followed by
Emma Young's double to advance pinch runner
Chloe Cardona to third.
Halle Bucktrot's sacrifice bunt allowed Cardona to score, and
Raylin Morgan's single drove in two more runs, putting the Hillcats ahead 3-0.
Midwestern State responded in the fifth inning with a pair of runs, narrowing the gap to 3-2. However, RSU extended its lead in the sixth when
Rylee Bush scored on another fielding error, making it 4-2.
Erica Ross closed the game for the Hillcats, preventing any further scoring opportunities and securing the win.
Harley Culie (3-2) pitched 5.3 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters. She threw a total of 100 pitches, with 66 strikes, ending the game with a WHIP of 1.57. Ross entered in relief for 1.2 innings, striking out one batter for her second save of the season.
Morgan led the team with two hits and two RBIs, finishing with an impressive 1.333 OPS. Young and Jordan each contributed a double.
GAME TWO: RSU 1, SWOSU 0
In the second game, Rogers State secured a 1-0 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma, highlighted by a complete-game shutout from pitcher
Kinsley Hill, who allowed just three hits over 6.0 innings. The game's only run came in the first inning when
Baylee King initiated the action with a single to left field, followed by two stolen bases. King then scored on a sacrifice fly by
Saylor Brown, putting RSU up 1-0.
Hill pitched six innings, allowing just two hits and recording three strikeouts, facing 20 batters with 54 strikes out of 71 pitches, achieving a WHIP of 0.33. Ross contributed with a solid inning of relief, giving up one hit and striking out one batter to preserve her second shutout of the day.
King made a notable contribution by stealing two bases, while
Mariah Belzer recorded a double in her sole hit of the game. Brown added an RBI with her sacrifice fly, helping to drive in the winning run.
UP NEXT
Hillcat softball will return to action next Thursday and Friday for the Tahlequah Softball Festival. RSU will face Oklahoma Baptist and East Central on Thursday, followed by Southern Arkansas and Southwest Oklahoma State on Friday.
