(Peru, Neb.) – In order to avoid some of Mother Nature's fury, the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) played two additional games on Wednesday. 
 
With the change, the Peru State Bobcat baseball team did play in two of the five games at the Phil Welch Stadium in St. Joseph, Mo.  The Bobcats dropped a 1-0 pitching duel in the first round to the Avila University Eagles.  Playing just three hours later, Peru State responded and eliminated the Benedictine College Ravens 9-2 in the double elimination tournament.
 
With the split, the Bobcats' overall record is now 27-16.
 
The HAAC and tournament officials have postponed Thursday's games.  Decisions will be made later on Thursday or early Friday morning as to when the remainder of the games will be played.
 
Peru State versus Avila
 
The lone run in the first game came in the bottom of the first inning.  When it looked like Peru State would get out of the inning unscathed, the Eagles earned two walks, which were followed by a wild pitch.  The runner on second advanced to third on the wild pitch and on an attempt to throw the runner from first who was trying to go to second, an error occurred, allowing the runner at third to score.  
The Bobcats did work out of other possible jams not allowing any other Eagle runs.  Peru State's best scoring opportunity came in the top of the ninth inning.  After the first out, Tyler Croushorn (Omaha) reached on a walk and went to second when Ronnie Tanner (Havertown, Pa.) reached on a fielder's choice.  Croushorn went to third when Derek Voigt (Auburn, Wash.) reached first on a fielder's choice with Tanner being forced out at second.  While it appeared the next batter's hit of the ball was going to make it into shallow right field, the Eagle second baseman snagged it for the final out of the game.
 
Peru State had just two hits in the game and committed three errors.  Avila's lone run came on two hits and the Eagles had one miscue.
 
Croushorn and Tyler Cherin (Seattle, Wash.) each had one hit in the loss.
 
Aubrey Dezarn (Las Vegas, Nev.) was on the mound and suffered the loss.  Dezarn threw six and one-third innings and allowed just two hits and one run while striking out four.  Voigt threw the last one and two-thirds innings, did not allow a hit, and struck out one.

AVILA BOX SCORE
 
Peru State versus Benedictine
 
The Bobcat bats woke up in the second game as they earned the elimination bracket win over the Ravens.
 
After leaving two on base in the first inning and not scoring, Peru State put runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning.  Derrick Davis (Orange Park, Fla.) tripled to deep right-center to start things off.  After the first out, Ryan Grabowski (Omaha) singled to left, driving in the Bobcats' first run of the tournament.  Cherin reached base on a Raven error, allowing Grabowski to advance to third.  Croushorn would reach on a fielder's choice, with Cherin being forced out.  Grabowski would score, though, on a Benedictine error.  At the end of two, Peru State led 2-0.
 
The Ravens would get one of those runs back in the top of the fourth to make it 2-1.  
In the bottom of the sixth, Davis singled to left to start off the inning for Peru State.   Dan McGonigle (Blue Springs, Mo.) came in to run for Davis and went to second on a passed ball.  After an out, McGonigle advanced to third on a groundout.  Cherin singled to short to drive in McGonigle, putting Peru State back up 3-1.
 
Benedictine would score one in the top of the seventh, making it 3-2 Peru State.  In the bottom of the seventh, Tanner doubled deep down the right field line to start things off.  After two outs, Phil Lial (Las Vegas, Nev.) singled to left to drive in Tanner, giving Peru State a 4-2 lead.
 
After holding the Ravens scoreless in the top of the eighth, the 'Cats exploded in the bottom of the inning to take a huge lead.
 
Dezarn singled to center and went to second when Grabowski laid down a sacrifice bunt.  Next, Cherin singled to left.  Dezarn scored on a Croushorn double down the left field line with Cherin going to third.  Tanner reached on a walk to load the bases.  Voigt doubled to left-center, driving in Cherin and Croushorn, making it 7-2.  After a pitching change, Santiesteban doubled to deep left-center, driving in Tanner and Voigt for what would be the final runs of the game, with Peru State winning 9-2.
 
After having only two hits in the first game, Peru State earned its nine runs on 15 hits and did not commit any errors.  The Ravens scored their two runs on six hits and committed four miscues.