(Peru, Neb.) – Playing their final regular season games of the year, the Peru State Bobcat softball team dropped a double header to the home-standing MidAmerica Nazarene University (MNU) Pioneers on Monday.
 
The Pioneers shutout the 'Cats 5-0 and 3-0 to finish 14-4 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) and 26-12 overall.  MNU earned the second seed with the sweep for the upcoming HAAC post-season tournament.
 
Peru State fell to 15-25 overall and 9-9 in the HAAC.  The Bobcats will be the fifth seed in the tournament, which will feature the top eight teams in the HAAC.
 
Game One Action
 
The first game was a good battle through the first four innings.  Neither team had scored until the Pioneers scored one in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bobcats missed a great scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth as they left the bases loaded without scoring.  In the bottom of the inning, MNU plated four runs to go up 5-0.
 
Again, in the top of the sixth, Peru State left two runners on base without pushing across a run.
 
The Pioneers scored their five runs on nine hits and did not commit any errors.  Peru State had four hits and committed one error.
 
Emily Maresh (Central City), Abbie Moser (Lincoln), Toni Moffat (Morden, Manitoba, Canada), and Devon Massengale (Elkhorn) each had one hit.
 
Massengale was the pitcher and threw five innings, suffering the loss.  Massengale gave up eight hits, five runs – four earned, and struck out three.

GAME ONE BOX SCORE
 
Game Two Action
 
The second game was similar to the first as both teams played relatively well without scoring a lot of runs.
 
MNU scored two in the third and one in the fifth for their three runs.  The Bobcats left the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, missing an opportunity to either tie the game or go ahead.
 
Moffatt and Kristen Bodyk (Paris, Ontario, Canada) got the only hits for the 'Cats.
 
Lauren Johnson (Seward) suffered the loss.  Johnson pitched six innings, giving up six hits, three runs – two earned, and struck out five.

GAME TWO BOX SCORE
 
Upcoming Action
 
By virtue of securing the fifth seed, Peru State will face the fourth-seeded Evangel University Crusaders in the first round of the HAAC post-season tournament that will be played on May 3 and 4, weather-permitting, at the Blue Valley Rec Complex in Overland Park, Kan.  The first games of the tourney will begin at 1 p.m. on Friday.