CLEBURNE, Texas – Rogers State won its first conference tournament title in baseball since joining the Heartland Conference as the Hillcats held on for a 4-3 win knocking off reigning six-time champion St. Edward’s in the championship game of the 2019 Heartland Conference Baseball Championship.
Game 5 (Cont.) - #4 St. Edward’s def. #3 UAFS 10-7 (11 Inn.) – Box Score
Before playing the championship game, St. Edward’s had to get past UAFS in the resumption of Friday night’s halted elimination game against UAFS. The Hilltoppers and Lions stalemated for two innings until the 11th when St. Edward’s got a leadoff double from Ty Markee who advanced to third on a groundout by Robbie Lammons. Ryan McPhail broke the deadlock with an RBI double that began a four-run inning for SEU.
UAFS got a run back thanks to a solo home run from Travis Young, but Brandon Pettinati closed the door and ended the tournament run from the Lions.
Championship Game - #2 Rogers State def. #3 St. Edward’s 4-3 – Box Score
In what would be the final game of the tournament, Rogers State and St. Edward’s yo-yoed back and forth as both teams held the lead twice in the game.
The Hilltoppers struck first as Jacob Vasquez put on the squeeze bunt which scored Ryan McPhail from third in the top of the first.
In the third inning, tournament MVP Grant Farris brought the game back level with an RBI double that brought home Zack Mann. It would prove to be Farris’ only hit of the game going 1-for-4 with an intentional walk in his next at bat. Griffin Keller gave the Hillcats their first lead launching a solo shot to right field hitting just the third long ball of the tournament.
St. Edward’s did not go quietly getting runs from a pair of RBI doubles in the sixth and seventh innings from Morgan Allen and Zach Shepherd to regain the lead at 3-2.
In the eighth inning, RSU came up with the answer as the Hillcats led off the inning with a pair of singles to set the table for Brendan Griffith. Griffith looked like bunting but after the count reached 1-1 the Hillcats called it off and Griffith poked a ball to the right side in the gap left by the bunt defense that scored Follett from second. Russell’s bunt single gave RSU the lead for good 4-3 as the Hillcats singled on their first four at bats of the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Brock Noten came up to close the door and got two strikeouts and a 6-3 groundout from Blake Holub to end the game and clinch the title for RSU.
It was the first tournament title for the Hillcats in their first tournament appearance in the Heartland Conference as they advance to the NCAA South Central Regional after clinching the Heartland’s automatic berth.
2019 Heartland Conference Baseball All-Tournament Team
MVP – Grant Farris, Rogers State
P – Jackson Simonsgaard, Rogers State
P – Nathan Medrano, St. Edward’s
RP – Brock Knoten, Rogers State
C – Robbie Lammons
INF – Kyle Love, UAFS
INF – Zack Mann, Rogers State
INF – Ty Markee, St. Edward’s
INF – Nick Follett, Rogers State
OF – Dylan Mackin, St. Edward’s
OF – Griffin Keller, Rogers State
OF – Hill Alexander, Lubbock Christian
DH – Blake Holub