The Rogers State baseball team spent an enjoyable weekend in Chickasha, Okla., earning two wins against University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma on Saturday and a come-from-behind victory over Peru State College (Peru, Neb.) on Sunday at Bill Smith Ballpark.
The Hillcats received a strong pitching performance from Dusty Carriger (3-1) in the first game of the weekend. The southpaw allowed three runs on five hits in six innings of work. Clinging to a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh inning, RSU added two big insurance runs as Jake Brumble and Andrew Sherman both singled and scored in the inning. Brumble, Tim Gwartney and Todd Koscheski each tallied two hits in the ballgame as the Hillcats banged out 10 hits in the 6-3 victory. Brett Trzinski fanned two batters in the bottom of the seventh to earn his first save of the season.
RSU jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning of Game 2. Tyler Henderson led off the third with a single and scored on a single to right field by Eric Bunch. Zack Bacon followed with a walk and Gwartney delivered the big blow with a two-run double to the right field gap. Starter Bryan Hollenbeck (2-2) worked five solid innings to earn the win. The Drovers mounted a rally in the bottom of the sixth as freshmen relievers Josh Walker and Creston Moon were touched for two runs, cutting the lead to 5-3. Trzinski entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth and promptly induced Russell Boswell into a double play groundout to end the rally. Trzinski retired the Drovers in order in the seventh to earn his second save of the day.
RSU faced Peru State College in the final contest of the weekend on the USAO campus. The Hillcats committed a season-high six errors and trailed the Bobcats, 8-4, entering the ninth inning. RSU put together a five-run rally in the ninth to take a one run lead. The Hillcats cranked out four hits in the game’s final frame. Koscheski looped a double down the right field line to score the first two runs of the inning and Tyler Henderson delivered the final shot with an RBI single to plate Ryan Littlejohn and give the Hillcats a 9-8 advantage. Trzinski worked a perfect ninth inning to record his third save of the weekend. Freshman Grant Cosby (1-0) was the winner in relief in his first appearance of the season.
RSU (9-11) returns home on Tuesday for a doubleheader vs. College of the Ozarks (Point Lookout, Mo.). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.