Rogers State baseball (1-0) started the 2023 season off with a bang as they took down Henderson State (1-1), who was ranked No. 27 in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason poll, in a 6-4 victory in the Dugan Invitational on Saturday.
The Hillcats wasted no time getting things started as Marco Barrera went yard, driving a ball over the right field fence, in the first at-bat of the game to give RSU an early 1-0.
The Reddies responded in the bottom half of the frame as they answered with three runs of their own to go up 3-1. After two base hits put runners in scoring position with one out, HSU’s first run scored on a fielder’s choice. A single to right drove in the second run with a single through the left side of the infield plating the third run. Giancarlo Cortez responded by mowing down the final two batters of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.
RSU bounced back in the top of the second with two more runs to retake a 4-3 lead. After a strikeout to start the inning, A.J. Folds and Prescott Horn got on base with back-to-back singles. Ramon Torres brought them in with a deep single to center. Barrera stayed hot as he doubled to left center to plate Torres.
In the top of the third, the Hillcats extended their lead to 6-3 with two more runs. Jose Escalante singled up the middle with two outs. Folds was then hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. After a pitching change, Horn smashed a ball down the left field line to bring in both Folds and Escalante.
Henderson State would get a run back in the bottom half to cut the margin to 6-4. A single to right field scored the run.
The game devolved into a pitcher’s duel in the remaining six innings as both pitching staffs threw shutouts and only allowed a combined seven hits.
Rece Parker (1-0) picked up his first win of the season out of the bullpen after an impressive 5.0 shutout innings of work only allowing three hits with seven strikeouts. HSU’s Andrew Howard (0-1) took the loss giving up all six runs in 2.2 innings.
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