(Peru, Neb.) – The Peru State Bobcat baseball team opened their Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a 4-2 win over Central Methodist University. The Heart Tourney is being played at the Wendell Redden Stadium in Joplin, Mo.
With the win, Peru State improves to 35-14 while the Eagles fell to 25-27.
Game Action As the visiting team, the Bobcats had the bases loaded in the top of the first, but failed to push across a run.
In the bottom of the second, Central Methodist scored a run on a home run blast. Neither team would score in the next three innings.
The 'Cats first got on board in the top of the sixth inning.
Scout Villanueva (Bakersfield, Calif.) singled to left to start the inning.
Brandon Melendez (Miramar, Fla.) entered to run for Villanueva.
Adam Quintana (Highland, Calif.) hit a sacrifice bunt which moved Melendez to second.
Seth Walston (Hemet, Calif.) reached with a walk.
Mark McGinnity (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled thru the hole at shortstop to drive in Melendez to tie the game at 1-1 with Walston stopping at second.
Jordan Silva (Lynnwood, Wash.) singled to third to load the bases.
Marshall Klontz (Lake Tapps, Wash.) reached first on a fielder's choice with Walston being forced out at home with McGinnity advancing to third. On a wild throw, McGinnity would score to put Peru State up 2-1.
In the top of the seventh, Peru State would add an insurance run. After an out,
Randy Santiesteban (Hialeah, Fla.) reached on a walk and went to second with a stolen base. Villanueva followed with a single to shallow left which was just deep enough for Santiesteban to score to make it 3-1. The Bobcats would leave two stranded in the inning.
A strange situation happened in the bottom of the seventh after two outs. An Eagle had a hit which went to the fence with Walston trying to make a play on the ball. On the play, Walston got stuck in the fence and could not retrieve the ball which ended up being an inside the park home run to cut the score 3-2. Fortunately, that would be the last score for the Eagles.
In the top of the ninth, Villanueva homered over the center field fence on a 2-1 count to give Peru State a little cushion at 4-2 which would prove to be the final score.
The Bobcats scored their four runs on 11 hits and had two errors. Central Methodist scored their two runs on four hits and had three miscues.
Villanueva and
Joshua Alonzo (Riverside, Calif.) each had three hits for Peru State. McGinnity added two hits. Villanueva was credited with two RBI while McGinnity added one.
Manny Arciniega (Hemet, Calif.) started on the mound and went eight innings for his sixth win of the season. Arciniega threw eight innings and allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck out nine.
Miguel Navarro (San Jacinto, Calif.) came in to relieve Arciniega in the ninth. Navarro did not allow any hits and struck out two for the save.
CENTRAL METHODIST GAME BOOK Upcoming Games Peru State will face the winner between Avila University and Graceland University on Friday at 4 p.m. With a win, the Bobcats would advance to the semifinal game on Saturday at the same time.
The tournament is a double-elimination event and is scheduled to run through May 5.
