(Peru, Neb.) – With a sweep of Benedictine College (BC) on Saturday, the Peru State College (PSC) Bobcat softball team assured themselves of the fifth-place seed in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) post-season tournament.
With the two wins of 5-2 and 3-2 over the Ravens, Peru State improved to 9-7 in the HAAC while BC fell to 6-11. Overall, the 'Cats are 27-21 while Benedictine is 13-29.
Game One Action
Drawing first blood in the third inning, the Bobcats took a 2-0 lead. Following the first out of the inning,
Miranda Lyndes (Peyton, Colo.) reached on a walk and went to second when
Emily Maresh (Central City) singled to shallow left-center. On a ground out, both runners advanced.
Kristen Bodyk (Paris, Ontario, Canada) walked to load the bases. Peru State pitcher,
Devon Massengale (Elkhorn), helped her own cause with a single driving in Lyndes and Maresh.
The 2-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the fifth when the Ravens tied it at 2-2.
Peru State came right back in the top of the sixth to put up the eventual winning runs.
Stephanie Holdsworth (Bennet) singled up the middle.
Toni Blackwell (Papillion) came in as a pinch runner for Holdsworth at that point and went to second when
Casee Ford (Fort Collins, Colo.) singled thru the hole at second base. On an 0-0 pitch,
Brittany Hoock (Elkhorn) hit a home run over the right field fence to give the 'Cats a 5-2 advantage, which would prove to be the final score of the game.
Hoock, Massengale, and
Alexa Johnson (Fremont) each had two hits. Hoock and Massengale provided three and two RBI respectively.
Massengale earned her tenth win of the season as she scattered eight hits, gave up two runs – both earned, and struck out five. Massengale's two-year win total of 27 now ties her for seventh on PSC's all-time list with Melanie Tramp who pitched for the Bobcats in 1998-99.
GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Game Two Action
PSC scored one in the top of the first inning as Maresh homered over the center field fence on a 1-2 count.
The Ravens tied it in the bottom of the second at 1-1.
In the top of the third, Peru State would score enough runs to hold up for the rest of the game. Hoock singled up the middle and advanced to second when Lyndes reached base on a Raven throwing error. Both runners advanced when Maresh hit a sacrifice bunt.
Devin Choate (Beatrice) reached on a fielder's choice, but Hoock was thrown out at home plate as she was trying to score on the play. Lyndes did move to third and later tied the game when Bodyk singled to center. Massengale followed with a single to shallow right-center, which brought in Choate who had previously been on second base. Going into the bottom of the inning, PSC lead 3-1.
Benedictine did add one in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-2. Both teams had other scoring opportunities, but failed and PSC got the sweep of the double header.
Bodyk went three for four in the game. Maresh, Bodyk and Massengale were each credited for one RBI.
Lyndsay Drumm (Bennington) was the winning pitcher for PSC as she threw a complete game. Drumm gave up eight hits, two runs – one earned, and struck out two. Drumm is now 8-7 on the year. The senior now has 24 career wins which moves her into a tenth-place tie with one of her former teammates, Nicole Goodrich, who pitched from 2008-2010.
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
Upcoming Games
The Bobcats travelled to Hastings College on Sunday to take on the Broncos in a double header.
On Tuesday, the Bobcats will play their final regular season games when they travel to Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. The double header, the final HAAC games for both teams, is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
The HAAC post-season tournament is scheduled for Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28, if necessary. The quarterfinals, featuring a best two of three series, will be held at the highest seed. At this point, it appears the Bobcats will be traveling to Baldwin City, Kan., to face Baker University. The Wildcats have locked up the fourth seed while PSC has secured the fifth seed. Game time will either be 2 p.m. or 6 p.m.
