CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State Baseball team completed a three-game sweep of St. Mary's in Heartland Conference play on Saturday with a 7-5 victory at the Diamond Sports Complex.

The Hillcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held off a late surge from the visitors to remain second in the Heartland Conference standings.

Rogers State took advantage of a St. Mary's error in the second as Blake Chiaramonte picked up an RBI with a double down the left field line to score Griffin Keller. In the third inning, Keller beat out a double play to allow Grant Farris to score, as the Hillcats went up 2-0.

In the fourth inning, the Hillcats would blow the game open with four runs. Brandon Bradshaw doubled to right center, scoring Farris and Christopher Ford. A few batters later, Brendan Griffith single to right, bringing around Bradshaw and Nick Follett.

The visitors would make a comeback effort in the later innings, first scoring on a ground out and then a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. In the sixth inning, the Rattlers would add two more runs on a pair of RBI singles to cut the deficit to 6-4.

In the seventh inning, a sacrifice fly by St. Mary's would make it a one-run game. However, Sean Robinson got the Hillcats out of the jam and then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to hold onto the Hillcats one-run advantage.

Bradshaw would give the Hillcats an insurance run in the eighth with a double to center field, bringing around Zach Mann for the seventh and final run.

Brock Knoten closed out the game in the ninth for his seventh save of the season.

Preston Whitten earned his second win of the season, going six innings. Whitten allowed four runs on six hits with a strikeout.

Rogers State will be back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Ada to take on East Central in non-conference play. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.