It was a game in which they had an opportunity to win. No, make that two games which the Peru State College (PSC) Bobcat baseball team had opportunities to win.
In a make-up of previously rained out games with Avila University, the Bobcats had opportunities in the last inning to capture wins over the ranked Eagles, but failed to capitalize.
In the first game, which was suspended and started in the top of the second inning, the score was tied at 2-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. Peru State did have runners on first and second in the inning, but was unable to score. Avila managed to add four in the top of the eighth and went on to win 6-2.
While the scoring was much higher in the second game, PSC had a 9-5 lead going into the fourth inning and was still ahead 9-8 going into the sixth. In the Avila half of the inning, they took the lead at 10-9, but the 'Cats responded to tie it at 10-10. After stopping the Eagles in their half of the seventh, PSC had runners on first and second again with only one out, but could not push the go-ahead run across. Neither team scored in the seventh, but Avila managed four hits and were aided by two Bobcat errors in the top of the eighth to score five runs and take the game 15-10.
With the two wins, Avila maintained their lead at the top of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) standings with a 13-3 mark and has a three-game lead in the Western Division. Overall, the Eagles are 31-8.
For PSC, it puts a damper on their post-season play; however, the Bobcats can still make it, but will need to win their remaining games and hope for some help. At present, the 'Cats are 8-10 in the HAAC, good for fourth in the Western Division and are 24-15 overall. Only the top three teams in each division make the post-season play.
After restarting the suspended game in the top of the second inning, neither team was able to put across any runs.
Avila did draw first blood as they scored one in the top of the third, but the Bobcats came back in the bottom of the inning to take a 2-1 lead. After the first out,
James Welty (Omaha) singled thru the hole at shortstop. A strikeout followed, bringing up
Randy Santiesteban (Hialeah, Fla.) who hit a two-run home run over the left-field fence on a 2-2 count giving PSC a 2-1 lead which would hold until the top of the sixth when Avila scored one to tie it at 2-2.
As noted earlier, a scoring opportunity was blown in the bottom of the seventh for PSC after shutting down the Eagles in the top of the last inning. Then, in the top of the eighth, Avila managed to score four to take a 6-2 advantage. This did not stop the 'Cats as they did load the bases, but were not able to put any runs across.
Santiesteban went two for four and had two RBI while
Jeff Eubank (Fort Pierce, Fla.) also had two hits.
Technically,
Will Scott (Defuniak Springs, Fla.) is listed as the starter as Scott actually started the game on Saturday before the game was suspended. Scott then threw on Monday against Benedictine as was replaced in the second inning by
Austin Parker (Brighton, Colo.). Parker pitched five innings giving up five hits and two earned runs while striking out seven.
Danny Borst (Moreno Valley, Calif.) threw two-thirds of an inning off relief, did not allow a base runner, and struck out one.
Tim Crawford (Omaha) came in to throw in the eighth after recovering from an injury. Crawford was tagged for the loss as he gave up two hits, four runs – all earned, and struck out one. Crawford fell to 5-2 for the year.
GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Game Two Action
Both teams scored runs early in this game as PSC grabbed the initial lead in the bottom of the first.
Tyler Croushorn (Omaha) got things going doubling over the right-field fence. Santiesteban bunted and reached on a base hit. Eubank followed with a double of his own to deep left-center driving in both runners to give PSC a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second, Avila struck back for five runs to go up 5-2.
However, the 'Cats responded with a scoring explosion of their own in the bottom of the second.
Brenden Gentry (Sallisaw, Okla.) led off with his fourth homer of the year over the centerfield fence on a 3-1 count.
Jonathan Arche (Miami, Fla.) followed with his first home run of the year on the first pitch to make it 5-4 Avila.
Welty followed with a bunt and reached with a base hit. On an Avila error, Croushorn reached base while Welty advanced to second. A squeeze-play bunt allowed Santiesteban to get on to load the bases. Eubank drove in all three runners with a triple to deep right-center. Eubank would come home when
Kyle Fredrickson (Omaha) got into the action with a double of his own.
Mitch Roberts (Blue Springs) came in as a pinch runner for Fredrickson and stole third. After a strikeout,
J.L. Thomason (Holt, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly to right-center and Roberts came in for the fifth run of the inning. At the end of two, Peru State had a four-run advantage at 9-5. (Sounds like a former country song)
Neither team scored in the third, but Avila would tack on two in the fourth, one in the fifth, and eventually took the lead in the top of the sixth by adding two more. Going into the bottom half of the sixth, PSC trailed 10-9.
Following two outs, Eubank hit his seventh home run of the year on a 2-2 count to knot the game at 10-10.
After shutting down the Eagles in the top of the seventh, the 'Cats left two base runners on, forcing extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Avila scored five runs on four hits and two PSC miscues, which really aided the Eagles' cause.
With one more opportunity to score, Peru State could not put anything together and fell 15-10.
Santiesteban, Eubank, and Arche each had three hits. But, it was Eubank who had the big game with six RBI.
Aubrey Dezarn (Las Vegas, Nev.) started the game for PSC and went five innings. Dezarn gave up eight hits, eight runs – only two earned, and struck out two. Tim Patterson
(Valdosta, Ga.) came in to relieve Dezarn in the fifth inning and threw one-third of an inning, giving up two earned runs.
Lincoln Mansch (Missoula, Mont.) relieved Patterson and went one and two-thirds innings and only allowed two hits.
Gustavo Arcia (Caracas, Venezuela) came in to throw the eighth and was tagged for the loss in only his second appearance on the mound. Arcia scattered five hits, gave up five runs – none earned, and struck out two. With the loss, Arcia's record is 1-1.
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Upcoming Games
The Bobcats have a pair of double headers this weekend in Baldwin City, Kan., which will ultimately decide the fate of their post-season possibilities. PSC will face Baker University on Friday at 4 p.m. and then again on Saturday at 2 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 24, the game scheduled with Bellevue University has been cancelled to allow for the make-up double header with Avila University that had been previously rained out. The first game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Then, on April 28, the 'Cats will travel to Marshal, Mo., to finish their regular season against Eastern Division HAAC foes, Missouri Valley College. Game time for the double header is 1 p.m.
