(Peru, Neb.) – If they were going to have any shot of making it into post-season play, the Peru State College (PSC) Bobcat baseball team was aware they really needed to sweep the series at Baker University.  And sweep they did!
 
The 'Cats took two games on Friday by the scores of 8-1 and 2-1.  Then, on Saturday, PSC won two more in a more dramatic fashion by the scores of 6-5 and 10-9.  In the second game on Saturday, PSC trailed 5-0 and 9-4 before rallying to win.
 
With the four wins, PSC improved to 28-15 and 12-10 in Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).  The sweep allowed Peru State to move ahead of Baker in the Western Division into third place.  Only the top three teams in each division make the conference post-season tournament.
 
Baker fell to 23-24 overall and 11-11 in the HAAC.
 
Friday – Game One Action
 
Another classic pitching duel took place through the first four innings as not much happened until the top of the fifth.
 
Brenden Gentry (Sallisaw, Okla.) was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gustavo Arcia (Caracas, Venezuela).    Aubrey Dezarn (Las Vegas, Nev.) came in as a pinch hitter and singled to shallow center allowing Gentry to go to third.  Jonathan Castillo (Paterson, N.J.) followed with an infield single which scored Gentry for the first run of the game.  Following the second out, Jeff Eubank (Fort Pierce, Fla.) reached on a walk to load the bases.  Kyle Fredrickson (Omaha) also reached on a walk, which brought Dezarn home.  Another out ended the inning, but PSC led 2-0.
 
After the Wildcats went down one-two-three in the bottom of the fifth, Peru State added more runs in the top of the sixth.  
J.L. Thomason (Holt, Fla.) singled to left and advanced to second when Gentry singled back to the pitcher's mound and reached first.  On a fielder's choice on Arcia's sacrifice bunt attempt, Thomason was forced out at third.  James Welty (Omaha) singled thru the hole at second base, which loaded the bases.  Castillo reached on an error, which scored Gentry for the first run of the inning, making it 3-0 PSC.  Randy Santiesteban (Hialeah, Fla.) also singled, going thru the hole at shortstop, driving in Arcia and keeping the bases loaded.
 
Eubank earned another walk on which Welty scored to make it 5-0.  Kyle Fredrickson (Omaha) singled to right driving in both Castillo and Santiesteban.  Eubank eventually scored on an error on the same play with Fredrickson going to second on the throw.  Two outs later, the Bobcats had a commanding 8-0 advantage.
 
Baker did score one in the bottom of the sixth to make it 8-1, which later proved to be the final score.
 
Arcia was two of four in hitting while Fredrickson and Castillo had three and two RBI respectively.
 
Will Scott (Defuniak Springs, Fla.) pitched a complete game to win his seventh of the year.  Scott scattered six hits, gave up just one earned run and struck out six Wildcat batters.

FRIDAY GAME ONE BOX SCORE
 
Friday – Game Two Action
 
Another pitcher's duel took place in the second game as neither team scored until the bottom of the fifth when Baker scored its only run of the game.
 
The Bobcats immediately countered in the top of the sixth inning. 
 
Castillo got on base with a walk.  Following a fly ball out, Eubank singled to shallow right and Castillo moved to second.  The bases were loaded when Fredrickson walked.  Derek Voigt (Auburn, Wash.) came to the plate and singled to shallow left driving in both Castillo and Eubank.  After the bases were again loaded when Thomason walked, two outs followed, but PSC led 2-1.   
While the Wildcats had two base runners in the bottom of the inning, they could not capitalize on the opportunity.  Both teams failed to put anything together in the seventh and PSC won 2-1.
 
Voigt went two for three and had the winning RBIs. 
 
Tim Crawford (Omaha) earned the win, his sixth of the season against two losses.   Crawford pitched the first five and two-thirds innings, giving up three hits, one earned run and struck out two.  Voight came in to relieve Crawford and pitched the final inning and one-third and completely shut Baker down.   Voight gave up no hits or runs and struck out two to earn the save – his first of the year. 

FRIDAY GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Saturday – Game One Action
 
The Bobcats struck early in Saturday's first game.  Santiesteban got on base after the first out of the inning on a Baker error and then went to second with a stolen base.  Later, Santiesteban moved to third on another Baker miscue.  Eubank gained a walk and stole second.  After a strikeout, Voigt hit a single and both Santiesteban and Eubank scored.  Thomason reached on an error, which scored Voigt, but was later out on a fielder's choice.  At the end of one-half of an inning, PSC led 3-0.
 
In the top of the third, Peru State would add a couple more runs.  Following the first out of the inning, Eubank singled and went to second on a single by Fredrickson.  Eubank scored when Voigt grounded out to make it 4-0 and Roberts, pinch running for Fredrickson, went to second on the play.  Thomason followed with a single driving home Roberts giving PSC a 5-0 lead at that point.  
The 'Cats added one more run in the top of the fourth.  Arcia hit a double and was driven home by Welty's single.  The lone run put PSC up 6-0.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Baker scored one to cut it to 6-1.  After a scoreless fifth, the Wildcats made it interesting as they put up four runs in the sixth to make it a one-run game at 6-5.  However, the Bobcats buckled down and preserved the win.
 
Thomason went two for three and had two RBI to lead the Bobcat batters. 
 
Bryan Duncan (Seattle, Wash.) earned the win for PSC.  Duncan threw five and one-third innings, scattering six hits, giving up three runs – two earned and struck out four.  Danny Borst (Moreno Valley, Calif.) threw the final one and two-thirds innings to earn the save.  Borst gave up just one hit, but two runs – both earned.

SATURDAY GAME ONE ACTION
 
Saturday – Game Two Action
 
After the first inning, it looked a little bleak for PSC as Baker had taken a 5-0 lead.  Neither team scored in the second, but the 'Cats came back with offense in the third.

Gentry singled to shallow right-center to get things started for the Bobcats.  Gentry went to second as Santiesteban grounded out to second.   Jonathan Arche (Miami, Fla.) singled to left-center and Gentry advanced to third.  Castillo reached base on a Baker error on which Gentry was able to score the first run of the game for PSC and Arche advanced to third.  Castillo went to second on another ground out and Arche stayed at third.  Eubank reached on another Wildcat error with both runners scoring.  Fredrickson's single was able to drive Eubank home and following another out, Peru State only trailed by one at 5-4.
The one-run deficit was short-lived as Baker added four more in the bottom of the inning and once again, the 'Cats trailed by five at 9-4 after three innings.

Neither team was able to score in the fourth, but Peru State added runs in each of the next three innings.

In the top of the fifth, Castillo, after the first out, singled to shallow center.  Croushorn followed with another single and Castillo went to second.  Eubank drove both runners in with a double to deep left.  Eubank went to third on a Baker error.  Later, Eubank scored as Baker was able to tag Fredrickson on his way back to first base.  Going into the bottom of the fifth, Peru State only trailed by two at 9-7.

Thomason singled to start off the sixth inning and later advanced to second when Gentry was hit by a pitch.  Welty came in to run for Thomason and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Santiesteban.  Arche grounded out, but was able to drive in Welty to make it a one –run game at 9-8.
Baker did have two runners on base in the bottom of the sixth, but could not add any insurance runs. 

In PSC's last opportunities at bat, the Bobcats made the most of it.  Following the first out, Eubank tripled to center and came home when Fredrickson followed with a double, knotting the game at 9-9.  Mitch Roberts (Blue Springs) entered to run for Fredrickson and was tagged out on a fielder's choice as Voigt was safe at first.    Voigt stole second and scored when Welty, pinch-hitting for Thomason, singled to shallow right center.  Another out followed, but the 'Cats had gained their first lead of the game at 10-9.
In Baker's half of the inning, they went down one-two-three and PSC had won all four games of the series.

Eubank and Fredrickson each had two hits while driving in four and three RBI respectively. 

Dezarn started the game for PSC and went only two innings, giving up five hits, three earned runs, and struck out two.  Lincoln Mansch (Missoula, Mont.) came in to relieve Dezarn and pitched three and two-thirds innings.  Mansch gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out two.  Borst threw the final one and one-third innings and was the winner of the game.   Borst did not allow any hits or runs and struck out two.  For Borst, it was his first win as a Bobcat as he improved his record to 1-2 to go along with his three saves.

SATURDAY GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Upcoming Games

The Bobcats have four regular season games remaining.

On Tuesday, April 24, Avila University will return for a make-up double header beginning at 1 p.m.  Then, on Saturday, April 28, the Bobcats will travel to Marshall, Mo., to face Missouri Valley College in a double header scheduled for 1 p.m.  Both double headers are HAAC games and will be key to PSC's march into post-season play, which will begin the following week.