Softball Hillcats Take Two on the Road

Rogers State completed a perfect week with two road victories over Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva on Wednesday.

Randi Tyler singled home Bridgett Stewart in the top of the fourth inning of Game 1 to give the Hillcats a 1-0 advantage. RSU added two more runs in the fifth. Megan Wood started the inning with a single and Denise Garcia followed with a single up the middle. Taylor Whisenhunt chased Wood home with an RBI ground-out and Stewart roped an RBI single to score Garcia. The Hillcats would add two more runs in the sixth and took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. 

The Rangers scored their lone run of the day when Tanya Parker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh to break up the shutout. Relief pitcher Stephanie Eggers induced the next hitter into a harmless fly out to end the threat and preserve the win, 5-1. Kelli Dunagan (11-4) earned the win with five scoreless innings. She scattered three hits while striking out four. Garcia paced the Hillcats offensively with her second 3-for-4 performance in as many games.

RSU scrapped across two early runs in Game 2 and held on for a 2-0 victory behind a strong pitching performance from Eggers. Dunagan and Stewart laced back-to-back singles to start the Hillcat second inning. An RBI ground-out by Sydni Jones scored Dunagan and gave RSU the only run it would need in the contest. Dunagan doubled in the fourth and trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Stewart to give the Hillcats an insurance run in the fourth. Eggers (8-4) went the distance, allowing just four hits and one walk over seven innings of work. Dunagan and Stewart combined to go 5-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in the nightcap.

Coach Dawn Reed’s club improved to 19-8 with the sweep and will take the rest of the week off before facing Oklahoma Christian on Tuesday, April 10. The Hillcats will return home on Thursday, April 12, to host Oklahoma Baptist at the Hillcat Complex. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.