CLAREMORE - UAFS reliever Easton Stallings allowed only one hit over the final 1 1/3 innings of the opening game of Sunday’s Heartland Conference series finale doubleheader to earn his first save as the Lions edged the Rogers State Hillcats 6-5 at the Diamond Complex in Claremore, Okla.
The Lions (27-10, 12-4) completed the doubleheader sweep and won the four-game series with an 11-5 win against the Hillcats (20-18, 6-10) in the second game. The win kept UAFS, which won the series 3-1, in first place in the conference by one game over the second-place Lubbock Christian Chaps.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead after five innings in the opening game, UAFS created some much needed breathing room with a two-out rally. Catcher Jordany Santiago hit his first home run of the season – a two-out, solo shot off Hillcats starter Spencer Bivens. After Bivens walked shortstop Drew Duncan, right fielder Logan Allen doubled to drive in Duncan and give UAFS a 6-3 lead.
Rogers State pulled within one run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of runs. Designated hitter Derek Brumble drew a leadoff walk from Lions reliever Blake Welch. Welch got catcher Garrett Hall to pop up to second but gave up a double to third baseman Matt Seubert to put runners in scoring position.
Welch was relieved by Korbin Polly. Right fielder Bradley Degnan reached on a fielder’s choice, and Polly gave up a RBI single to shortstop Zack Mann that drove in Brumble. First baseman Blake Chiaramonte singled to left field to drive in Seubert, but Degnan was thrown out at the plate trying to score for the second out.
Polly was relieved by Stallings, who inherited the tying and go-ahead runners. Stallings got second baseman Brendan Griffith to fly out to right field to end the rally.
Lions second baseman Troy Cahill reached on an error to start the seventh, but Bivens retired the next three Lions in order. Rogers State put the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh when center fielder Brooks Douglass singled with one out, but Stallings retired the next two batters to end the game.
Welch (2-0), who relieved Lions starter Jordan Lawrence in the third inning, earned the win, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. Rogers State had 11 hits in all against the four UAFS pitchers.
Seubert was 3 for 3 with a double, Degnan was 2 for 3 with a double, Chiaramonte was 2 for 4 with one RBI, Griffith was 2 for 4 and Mann was 1 for 3 with two RBIs.
Bivens (6-3) suffered the complete-game loss for the Hillcats, allowing six runs – four earned – on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Santiago was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a home run, Allen was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs, left fielder Dion Williams was 1 for 4 with one RBI and center fielder Jace Pitchford was 1 for 3.
In the second game, UAFS collected 12 hits off five of the six Rogers State pitchers to ignite its offense. Hillcats starter AJ Deason (5-1) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on two hits with four walks in a brief one-plus inning of work.
Cahill was 4 for 6 with a double, a home run and three RBIs, Williams was 2 for 4 with two triples and one RBI, Pitchford was 2 for 4, first baseman Kyle Love was 2 for 5 with one RBI and Duncan was 2 for 4 with one RBI.
Rogers State collected nine hits off three UAFS pitchers. Dawson Floyd (8-2), who started the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, earned the win in relief, allowing no runs on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
Left fielder Patrick Reynier was 1 for 2 with two RBIs, Degnan was 1 for 4 with one RBI and Chiaramonte and Griffith were each 2 for 5 with one double.
GAME ONE
UAFS 6, ROGERS STATE 5
UAFS 030 102 0 — 6 6 1
Rogers State 002 102 0 — 5 11 3
Lawrence, Welch (3), Polly (6), Stallings (6) and Santiago; Bivens and Hall. W – Welch, 2-0. L – Bivens, 6-3. Sv – Stallings (1). HRs – UAFS, Santiago (1).
GAME TWO
UAFS 11, ROGERS STATE 5
UAFS 140 302 010 — 11 12 1
Rogers State 000 230 000 — 5 9 2
Burch, Van Kooten (5), Floyd (5) and Santiago; Deason, Whitten (2), Woodard (3), Zakar (6), Lucas (6), Johnson (9) and Hall, Russell. W – Floyd, 8-2. L – Deason, 5-1. HRs – UAFS, Cahill (5).
