RSU Sports
Tim Hanson, Sports Information Director
CLAREMORE – Merissa Smith propelled the Rogers State softball team to its first-ever win over St. Mary’s with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom on the seventh for a 4-3 win over the Rattlers on Friday at the Diamond Sports Complex. The Hillcats and Rattlers split the doubleheader today to set up a critical game three in the series tomorrow at 12 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex.
The Hillcats moved to 9-2 in the league and the Rattlers went to 10-1 in conference play. A win tomorrow in the final game of the series for the navy and red would pull the Cats even with St. Mary’s in the standings and give RSU an edge in the tiebreaker with the series win.
RSU 4, StMU 3
After Katelyn Gamble singled and pinch hitter Sierra Skaggs worked a walk for two on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Smith hit a walk-off single to left center to plate Gamble for the 4-3 victory and the navy and red’s first-ever victory over the Rattlers, the Heartland Conference champions the last eight seasons.
StMU tied the score with one run in the seventh inning as Angie Camacho came home from third for the 3-3 score heading into the bottom of the seventh.
After the Rattlers went up 2-0 in the second inning on a two-run home run, the Cats put up three runs in the fourth inning to gain a 3-2 edge over the league champions. Danelle Day doubled and an error from StMU allowed Tailee Reding to score for a 2-1 score. Allie McFetridge powered RSU to a 3-2 advantage with a two-run home run to centerfield.
Reding earned the win in the circle, going the final 3.0 innings and allowing one hit and one run. She posted three strikeouts. Andrea Morales started and went the first 4.0 innings with four hits allowed and four strikeouts.
McFetridge was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Smith finished 1-for-4 with one RBI.
StMU 9, RSU 0
The Rattlers hit four home runs in the opening game of the series to pull out to a 9-0 win over the Hillcats.
StMU totaled two early runs, including a solo home run, to take a 2-0 edge after two innings. The Rattlers used seven late runs to go up 9-0. A solo home run in the fifth made it 3-0 and two runs scored in the sixth on a single up the middle. In the seventh, StMU posted four runs with the final three runs on two home runs for the 9-0 margin.
Staci Johns of St. Mary’s limited the Cats to only two hits in 7.0 innings with five strikeout.
Senior Alex Brake started in game one and went 6.1 innings with eight hits and runs allowed. Skaggs came in for the final 0.2.
Day went 1-for-3, and Katy Taylor was 1-for-2 at the plate.