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Hillcats dispatch Gorillas in regional opener
Pittsburg State pitcher Emma Crabb fires to the plate Thursday afternoon against Rogers State at the PSU Softball Field. BROCK SISNEY / THE MORNING SUN

Pittsburg State softball jumped out to an early 3-0 lead only to see Rogers State plate nine unanswered runs and earn a 9-4 win Thursday in Central Regional play at the PSU Softball Field.

Raelle Gorman and Jaden Jordan each homered twice for the Hillcats and helped Rogers State push across three runs in the third, one in the fifth and five in the sixth.

The Gorillas scored one in the first, two in the second and one in the seventh.

PSU (45-9) faces the end of its season at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The Gorillas will play the loser between Winona State (48-9) and Central Oklahoma (42-13) in the second game Thursday.

Rogers State improved to 37-19.

Heather Arnett scores a run for Pitt State softball
PSU’s Heather Arnett scores a run Thursday against Rogers State at the PSU Softball Field. BROCK SISNEY / THE MORNING SUN

“We got a couple unlucky bounces, didn’t make plays when we needed to and just didn’t get the big hits when we needed to and left too many runners on base,” PSU softball coach Josh Barnes said. “That happens when you do that against good teams and they had a big inning.

“Tomorrow, we’ve got to come out and do everything better. We’ve got to pitch better, throw strikes and throw in good spots and not give up two-out, two-strike hits. We’ve got to hit with runners on. We’ve got to play the game and do it better.”

The Gorillas have lost consecutive games to Rogers State, after falling 5-0 to the Hillcats last Thursday in a MIAA Tournament quarterfinal game at Emporia.

Ava Laurent took the regional tournament loss Thursday with four runs allowed (four earned) on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk over four innings. Emma Crabb gave up the five-run sixth inning, all five runs scored with two outs, and she allowed five runs (all earned) on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks over three innings.

Heather Arnett, Haili Igou and Kadın Trochim each had two hits and Trochim, Lexi Davis and Sailor Hall each picked up RBI for the Gorillas.

Rogers St. 003 015 0 — 9 9 1

Pittsburg St. 120 000 1 — 4 9 1

Harley Culie and Saylor Brown; Ava Laurent, Emma Crabb (5) and Lexi Davis. W: Culie (21-10). L: Laurent (9-3). 2B—RSU: Chloe Cardona; PSU: Heather Arnett, Haili Igou. HR—RSU: Raelle Gorman 2, Jaden Jordan 2.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/