Alva Review-Courier -

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Rogers State softball team ended its 2017 road schedule with a doubleheader split at Drury on Tuesday (April 18) at Thompson Field. After falling, 5-4, in game one, the Hillcats earned the split with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap.

Drury 5, Rogers State 4

The Panthers rallied in game one with three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win, 5-4, on a walk-off single.

Trailing 4-2 entering the inning, DU totaled four-straight singles to take the win. With the bases loaded, a single to the gap in right drove in two runs to tie the score at 4-4. After a stolen base put a Panther baserunner in scoring position, Drury won with a single to right to score the runner from second base for the 5-4 score.

With the game still scoreless in the fourth inning, the navy and red went on top, 1-0, with a sac fly from Arika Araujo to plate Kenzie Lloyd. The freshman leftfielder started the inning with an infield single and advanced to third on a sac bunt and stolen base.

The Panthers gained their first lead of the game with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning when an infield single scored one run and an error allowed one more run to score for a 2-1 edge.

RSU plated three runs in the fifth inning to regain the advantage at 4-2. Senior Harli Wheeler put the Cats back in front with a two-run single to center to plate Katelyn Gamble and Ashley Williams for a 3-2 lead. Araujo tallied her second sac fly of the game to score Wheeler to make it 4-2.

Lloyd went 2-for-4 with one run scored in the game.

Rogers State 3, Drury 1

The Hillcats put up two late runs to take a 3-1 victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

With the score tied at 1-1, Morgen Blanchard gave the Hillcats the lead with a solo home run to left for a 2-1 advantage.

Blanchard struck again in the seventh inning with an RBI single to right to plate Lloyd for an insurance run and a 3-1 score.

RSU went in front, 1-0, in the first inning when Araujo posted her third sac fly of the day to score Wheeler. The senior shortstop led off the game with a single down the line and reached third base with back-to-back steals.

Drury knotted the score at 1-1 in the second inning with a bases-loaded walk. However, starting pitcher Megan Rosewell got out of the inning with two consecutive outs with the bases loaded.

Rosewell earned the win in the circle in game two, going the full 7.0 innings. She allowed only one run on six hits.

Blanchard finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.

The Hillcats end the regular season with six-straight home games, starting with Lubbock Christian this weekend. The three-game series opens on Friday (April 21) with a doubleheader at 3 p.m. at the Diamond Sports Complex. Coverage will be available on the Hillcat Network at http://www.rsuhillcats.com/live.