CLAREMORE, Okla. – Andrew Vanisi matched a school record hitting three home runs as the Rogers State baseball team closed out its home slate against Newman Saturday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex falling in the rubber match 9-8 on Senior Day.
 
Prior to the game, RSU honored 12 Hillcat seniors including Vanisi, who tied a single-game school record with three home runs in the game totaling four RBI.
 
The Hillcats struck first, scoring an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning. Cesar Rodriguez continued his impressive weekend singling with two outs to score Caleb Kohlmeyer, who had reached second base on a Neman error.
 
The Jets responded with one run of their own in the second, on three hits, scoring Garett Thomas, who singled to start the inning. 
 
RSU regained the lead in the second inning, when freshman Garrett Hall hit his first collegiate home run, giving the Hillcats a 2-1 lead.
 
Newman battled back with another run in the top of the third on two doubles by Tyler Bugner and Thomas, tying the game, 2-2.
 
A three-run bottom half of the third for RSU was highlighted by the first of Vanisi's three home runs. He sent a two-run blast off the top of the scoreboard in left scoring Rodriguez, who reached on an error. Trae BoBo followed with a single to left, moved to third on a double by Blake Gipson, and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Hall, making the score 5-2 in favor of the home side.


Newman added one run in the fourth before tallying five runs in the sixth inning, taking their first lead of the game and chasing RSU starter Zach Tyson leading 8-5.
 
The Jets tacked on one run to their lead in the seventh, but the Hillcats responded with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run by Vanisi, his second of the game. RSU managed one run in the eighth inning on a RBI single by Kohlmeyer, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
 
In the ninth, Vanisi hit his third home run of the game, and Heartland Conference-leading 11th of the season, to make it a one-run game. RSU moved the tying run to third later in the inning, but the Jets struck out three Hillcat batters to secure the series win, 9-8.
 
Cody Fredericksen pitched the win for the Jets throwing seven innings allowing six runs, three earned, on 10 hits. Tyson was charged with the loss for the Cats surrendering six runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts.
 
Saturday marked the final home game in the careers of 12 Hillcats as Alex Cochran, Joe Crow, Blake Gipson, Ryan Hendricks, Chase Knott, Edward Layton, Mason Marquette, Johan Ochoa, Matthew Shepard, Hunter Spencer, Travis Teague, and Andrew Vanisi.
 
Rogers State (15-27, 6-18 HC) plays its final five games of the season on the road starting the trip Monday afternoon in Point Lookout, Missouri to take on College of the Ozarks for a nine-inning game with first pitch set for 2 p.m.