RSU Sports
Tim Hanson, Sports Information Director
CLAREMORE – The Rogers State softball team swept Emporia State on Tuesday (March 6) to extend its winning streak to 15 straight games. The Hillcats (19-4) won game two, 4-3, on a walk-off, scoring on a wild pitch, and RSU took game one, 3-1.
RSU 3, ESU 1
The Hillcats tallied two runs in the fifth inning of game one to take a 3-1 victory and run their winning streak to 14 games.
With the speedy Katy Taylor at third base in the fifth inning, Danelle Day brought in Taylor with a sacrifice fly to foul territory in right field for a 2-1 RSU edge. Allie McFetridge added an insurance run with a single to left, dropping a hit right over third base, to make it 3-1.
McFetridge plated the first run of the game on a double to score Day for an early 1-0 advantage in the first inning of the game.
The Hornets totaled one run in the fourth inning on a fielder’s choice to tie the score at 1-1 before the runs in the fifth for RSU to pull out the win.
Senior Alex Brake started in the circle, pitching the compete7.0 innings and allowing only three hits. She registered four strikeouts to move to 6-1 on the season.
McFetridge finished at 2-for-3 with two RBI at the plate.
RSU 4, ESU 3
In the nightcap, Brooke Tyler scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the Cats to a 4-3 win. With the bases loaded, ESU brought in Kelsey Phillips and her pitch went all the way to the backstop to allow Tyler to score for the exciting victory.
The Hillcats built a 3-0 advantage in the first inning, but the Hornets plated runs late in the top of the seventh to set up the dramatic finish.
After a leadoff walk and error put two runners on in the first, Day drove in a run with a single up the middle for a 1-0 score. Taylor Santistevan plated one run in the first on a fielder’s choice and an error allowed one more run to score for a 3-0 edge.
Hailey Cope helped the Hornets tie up the score and give her team a chance. First, she totaled an RBI groundout in the third for a 3-1 margin and later doubled to right center in the seventh for one run and the tying run scored due to an error for the 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh before the Cats won on the walk off in the bottom of the inning.
Andrea Morales went the full 7.0 innings and got the win, giving up eight hits and two earned runs with two strikeouts. She moved to 6-3 on the season.
Day went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in the nightcap.
The Hillcats end their nine-game homestand with a three-game Heartland Conference series against St. Edward’s this weekend. The series starts on Friday (March 9) with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex.