(Peru, Neb.) – There was a sense of urgency on Friday and Saturday as most of the Bobcat baseball team and the coaches remembered being swept at MidAmerica Nazarene University last year. This weekend, the Bobcats turned the tables and took all four games from the Pioneers at the Centennial Complex Field.
 
With the four wins, Peru State moves to 21-7 on the season and 11-1 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play. The Pioneers, who had been receiving votes in the latest NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll, fell to 16-14 overall and 4-8 in the Heart.
 
The 'Cats are now on a nine-game winning streak which tops their previous eight-game streak.

 
Friday Game One
 
The Bobcats had to come from behind to capture the first game of the four-game series.
 
MNU scored one in the top of the first and added three more in the top of the third to go up 4-0.
 
It was not until the bottom of the fourth inning before the 'Cats got on the scoreboard after leaving a runner on base in each of the first two innings.
 
Randy Santiesteban (Hialeah, Fla.) started the bottom half of the inning with a walk. After two outs, it was looking like Santiesteban would be stranded, but Seth Walston (Hemet, Calif.) reached base on a Pioneer error with Santiesteban moving to second. On a passed ball, both runners advanced a base. A second passed ball, Santiesteban scored and Walston went to third. Mark McGinnity (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled to left to bring home Walston and after four innings, MidAmerica Nazarene led 4-2.
 
The Pioneers stranded two runners in the top of the fifth which gave Peru State an opportunity to build off the momentum from the fourth inning.
 
In the bottom half of the fifth, Grant Hindman (Omaha) reached on a walk and went to second when Joshua Alonzo (Riverside, Calif.) also earned a walk. Kyle Killen (Commerce City, Colo.) singled to the infield to load the bases. After the first out, Scout Villanueva (Bakersfield, Calif.) singled thru the hole at shortstop to bring both Hindman and Alonzo around to tie the game at 4-4. Brandon Melendez (Miramar, Fla.) came in to run for Villanueva. After a second out, Walston got a walk to load the bases. Killen would come home to score on another passed ball and after five innings, Peru State led 5-4.
 
Neither team would score in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, MNU would tie the game at 5-5.
 
 

In the bottom of the seventh, Killen started the inning with a single to shallow left. Santiesteban laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt with Killen moving to second. Villanueva was intentionally walked to give MNU a shot at a double play. Melendez came in again to run for Villanueva. Adam Quintana (Highland, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice as the Pioneers were not able to make a play at any base. Walston stepped to the plate and the reigning conference player of the week delivered a single to right to bring home Killen for the winning run.
 
The Bobcats scored their six runs on just five hits and had two errors. MNU actually outhit the 'Cats as they scored their five runs on nine hits and also had two miscues.
 
Killen was the lone Bobcat to have two hits in the game. Villaneuva was credited with two RBI to lead Peru State.
 
Miguel Navarro (San Jacinto, Calif.) tossed a complete game to win his third game of the season and evened his mark at 3-3.  Navarro allowed nine hits, five runs – three earned, and struck out five.

MNU FRIDAY GAME 1 GAMEBOOK
 
Friday Game Two
 
The second game on Friday saw the Bobcats take the early lead and never looked back.
 
In the bottom of the first, Alonzo reached on a walk and went to third when Killen singled to right-center. On Santiesteban' s ground out, Alonzo scored to give Peru State a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bobcats would add more runs in the bottom of the second. Quintana was hit by a pitch and Matthew Sontag (Davie, Fla.) entered to run for Quintana. On a wild pitch, Sontag advanced to second. Sontag

would move to third on a passed ball. Walston reached on a walk and went to second when McGinnity hit a sacrifice bunt, but Sontag was not able to score on that play. After the second out, Sontag scored on a wild pitch with Walston moving to third. Marshall Klontz (Auburn, Wash.) singled to shallow left-center to score Walston and after two innings, the Bobcats led 3-0.
 
Santiesteban would triple deep down the left-field line to start the bottom of the third. After an out, Quintana hit a sacrifice fly to deep right-center and Santiesteban scored making it 4-0 Peru State.
 
The Pioneers would score their lone run in the top of the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-1.
 
Peru State would score their final runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Alonzo reached on a walk to start the half-inning. After an out, Alonzo stole second and later scored when Santiesteban doubled to deep left-center. Villanueva would strike out, but the catcher dropped the ball and Villanueva would go to first. Santiesteban then advanced to third on a stolen base. Melendez came in to run for Villanueva. On a double steal, Santiesteban scored and Melendez went to second and eventually was stranded, but the Bobcats led 6-1 which was the eventual final score.
 
The 'Cats scored their six runs on six hits and had one error. MNU was held to one run on two hits and did not have any errors.
 
Santiesteban went two for three with a double and a triple and finished the game with two RBI to lead Peru State.
 
Quintana pitched a complete game for his third win of the season against no losses. Quintana allowed just two hits, an unearned run, and struck out ten in seven innings.

MNU FRIDAY GAME TWO GAMEBOOK
 
Saturday Game One
 
The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead in Saturday's first game and did not look back. Alonzo started the bottom of the first with a single and went to second with a stolen base. Killen doubled down the right-field line and Alonzo scored to make it 1-0. Santiesteban singled with Killen stopping at third. Villanueva followed with another single which drove in Killen and Santiesteban moved to third. Sontag entered to run for Villanueva. Quintana flied out to right-center, but Santiesteban was able to score. Sontag then stole second. After the second out, McGinnity singled to the infield and Sontag advanced to third. Silva singled, Peru State's sixth hit of the inning, and Sontag scored to make it 4-0 Bobcats.
 
 

Peru State would add runs in the bottom of the second. After the first out, Killen was hit by a pitch. Santiesteban laid down a bunt and was able to reach base with Killen stopping at second. After the second out, Quintana doubled to shallow right-center to drive in Killen with Santiesteban stopping at third. Walston bunted and reached base and Santiesteban scored.  After two complete innings, the 'Cats led 6-0.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, the Bobcats added another run as McGinnity homered over the left field fence on a 2-1 count.
 
MNU got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth, breaking up Peru State's no-hit game, as one of the Pioneers homered after two outs in the inning.
 
The 'Cats would add additional runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Villanueva was hit by a pitch and Sontag re-entered to run for Villanueva. Quintana reached on a walk with Sontag moving to second. Walston reached base on a Pioneer error to load the bases. McGinnity would fly out, but Sontag scored to make it 8-1. Quintana and Walston performed a double steal which allowed both of them to score on Silva's double down the right field line. After six complete innings, Peru State led 10-1.
 
The Pioneers would tack on a couple of runs in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough as Peru State won 10-3.
 
Peru State scored their ten runs on 13 hits and had no errors. MNU scored their three runs on three hits and had one miscue.
 
Alonzo, Santiesteban, McGinnity, and Silva all had two hits to lead the 'Cats. Silva was credited with three RBI while Quintana added two.
 
Manny Arciniega (Hemet, Calif.) had the no-hitter going through five and two-third innings and finished with a complete game win – his fourth of the season. Arciniega allowed three hits, three earned runs, and struck out 12.

SATURDAY GAME ONE GAMEBOOK
 
Saturday Game Two
 
Neither team was able to score through the first three innings as both teams stranded base runners.
 
The Pioneers scored one in the top of the fourth, but left the bases loaded. In the top of the fifth, MidAmerica Nazarene added one more to lead 2-0 after four and one-half innings.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Peru State finally managed to get on the board and they did so in a big way. Walston singled to right-center to start the inning. Walston went to second when McGinnity hit a sacrifice bunt. It was looking a little bleak as the next batter ground out, but Klontz reached on a walk. Alonzo singled down the left field line and Walston was able to score to cut the lead to 2-1 while Klontz stopped at second. Killen singled to drive in Klontz with Alonzo stopping at second. The big play of the inning was when Santiesteban blasted his sixth home run of the season over the left-field fence on a 1-0 count to put the Bobcats on top 5-2.

 
After the Pioneers went down in order in the top half of the sixth, Peru State would add some insurance runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
Quintana singled to left-center with Tanner Degafferelly (Freeport, Fla.) entering to pinch run for Quintana. After a pitching change, Walston hit a sacrifice bunt with Degafferelly advancing to second. McGinnity followed with a doubled to deep left-center to bring home Degafferelly. Silva singled to deep right-center and McGinnity came home for the final score for Peru State. After six, the Bobcats led 7-2.
 
The Pioneers would add one run in the top of the seventh and had more opportunities as they left the bases loaded.
 
The 'Cats scored their seven runs on nine hits and had one error. MNU managed their three runs on nine hits and did not have any errors.
 
Walston and McGinnity each had two hits to lead Peru State. Santiesteban's lone hit produced the team-high three RBI.
 
 

Luke Schneider (Monument, Colo.) threw a complete game for his third win of the season against no losses. Schneider allowed nine hits, three runs – two earned, and struck out three.

SATURDAY GAME TWO GAMEBOOK
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats recently added a nine-inning contest with NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State University for this Tuesday.  The game will be played in Maryville, Mo., and will begin at 2 p.m. As of Saturday, the Bearcats are 15-14 on the season.
 
This coming weekend, Peru State will return to conference action and will be traveling to Atchison, Kan., for a four-game Western Division series with the Benedictine College Ravens. Presently, the Ravens are 9-17 overall, but are third in the division with a 6-2 mark. Benedictine was scheduled to play Baker University today in a double header.