(Peru, Neb.) – It took ten innings, but a Travis Navarro (San Jacinto, Calif.) double drove in Edwin Rodriguez (Ponce, Puerto Rico) to give Peru State baseball a 7-6 win over visiting Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) University (DWU) to keep the Tigers from sweeping the four-game series this weekend.
 
Only one of the four games went the scheduled innings as three went into extra innings. The games on Saturday started later due to the light rain and then the second game Saturday was suspended after five innings due to darkness. The suspended game began at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

 
Saturday Game One
 
DWU jumped out early on the Bobcats in the first game as they scored three in the first, one in the second and two in the third to lead 6-0 before Peru State got on the scoreboard.
 
In the bottom of the third, Kyle Killen (Commerce City, Colo.) started the inning with a single to short. Seth Thomason (Crestview, Fla.) reached on a walk. After an out, Rodriguez singled to short to load the bases. Sterling Rupp (Grand Island) singled to shallow left-center to drive in Killen for Peru State's first score of the game. Navarro reached on a walk to drive in Thomason. After a pitching change, Cesar Nunez (Manati, Puerto Rico) reached on a Tiger error with Rodriguez scoring. On Caleb Dameron's (Henderson, Colo.) single to shallow right, Rupp scored to make it 6-4 at that point.
 
The Tigers would add four more runs in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 10-4.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Killen doubled to deep left and went to third on the throw. After an out, Jordan Silva (Lynnwood, Wash.) hit a sacrifice fly to center which allowed Killen to score what would be the Bobcats' final score of the game.
 
DWU would add one more run to their total for an 11-5 win.
 
The Tigers scored their 11 runs on eight hits and had two errors. Peru State scored their five runs on ten hits and had three errors.
 
Killen went 3 for 3 to lead the Bobcats while Navarro and Dameron each had two hits. Silva, Rupp, Navarro, Nunez, and Dameron each had one RBI.
 
Daniel Muniz (Miami, Fla.) started on the mound for the Bobcats and took the loss. Muniz tossed 2 innings and allowed 4 hits and 6 runs – 3 earned. Andrew Robinson (Imperial Beach, Calif.) threw the final 5 innings. Robinson allowed 4 hits, 5 earned runs, and struck out 5.

SATURDAY GM 1 GAME BOOK
 
Saturday Game Two
 
The second game was much closer throughout and was suspended late Saturday night due to darkness with the Bobcats leading 6-5 after five complete innings.
 
Peru State scored first in the game in the bottom of the first after stopping the Tigers from scoring in the top of the first as DWU left the bases loaded. Kadyn Glass (Redlands, Calif.) singled to short and went to second when Mark McGinnity (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled to shallow center. After an out, Killen reached on a fielder's choice with Glass moving to third, but McGinnity being thrown out at second. Silva doubled to deep left-center to drive in both base runners giving the 'Cats an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Tigers scored four in the top of the second to take a 4-2 lead and then added another run in the top of the third to stretch their lead to 5-2.
 
The Bobcats regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Glass reached on an error as did McGinnity. Thomason singled thru the hole at shortstop to load the bases. Killen singled to shallow left-center to bring home Glass and McGinnity to make it 5-4. Silva singled to the pitcher's mound with Thomason advancing to third. Rupp singled to shallow center which was deep enough to bring in Thomason and Killen to put the Bobcats on top 6-5.
 
After a scoreless fifth inning, the game was suspended until 11 a.m. Sunday.
 
When the game resumed, the Tigers scored a run in the top of the sixth to tie the game. It would not be until the top of the eighth when DWU exploded for four runs and eventually went on for a 10-6 victory.
 
The Tigers scored their ten runs on 13 hits and had three errors. Peru State scored their six runs on ten hits and had one error.

 
McGinnity, Thomason, and Silva each had two hits in the loss. Killen, Silva, and Rupp were credited with two RBI each.
 
Thomas Hernandez (Hollister, Calif.) started on the mound for the Bobcats. Hernandez tossed 5 innings and allowed 7 hits, 5 runs – 2 earned, and struck out 4. Christian Sanchez (Coamo, Puerto Rico) threw 1 inning to begin the suspended game and allowed 1 hit and 1 earned run. Cragin Missak (Bellevue) tossed the final 2 innings. Missak gave up 5 hits, 4 earned runs, and struck out 2 while being tagged for the loss.

SATURDAY GM 2 GAME BOOK
 
Sunday Game One
 
On a much better day to play ball, the first game turned out to be a back-and-forth scoring fest.
 
The Tigers scored one in the top of the first to go up 1-0.
 
In the bottom of the first, Glass started the game with a single to shallow left-center and went to second when McGinnity singled shallow down the left field line. After a strikeout, Killen hit a three-run home run over the center field fence on a 0-0 count to put the Bobcats up 3-1.
 
DWU would tie it in the top of the third with two runs.
 
In the bottom of the third, Glass took the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to give Peru State a 4-3 lead at that point. McGinnity would get his second single of the game, this up the middle. After two outs, McGinnity would advance to second on a passed base. Silva hit a double to left-center and McGinnity scored to make it 5-3. Rupp singled up the middle with Silva advancing to third. Rodriguez singled to shallow right-center and Silva scored to put Peru State on top 6-3.
 
The Tigers would cut into Peru State's lead by adding two runs in the top of the fourth to make it 6-5. In the top of the fifth, DWU added a run to tie it at 6-6, but left the bases loaded.?

 
Neither team would score then until the seventh inning. DWU added two runs on three hits to go up 8-6.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, after an out, Thomason reached with a walk. Chaz Dunn (Falls City) came in to run for Thomason with Killen coming to the plate. Killen hit his second home run of the game, this time over the left field fence on a 0-0 count to tie the game at 8-8.
 
Neither team scored in the eighth although the Bobcats left two base runners aboard in the bottom of the inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, DWU scored two runs to take a 10-8 lead.
 
Peru State would respond in the bottom of the inning, but with only one run. After an out, Killen was hit by a pitch. After the second out, Rupp singled through the hole at shortstop with Killen stopping at second. Jacob Trujillo (Hollister, Calif.) entered to run for Rupp at that point. Rodriguez singled to right-center with Killen advancing to third and eventually scoring on a Tiger bobble, but that would be all Peru State could muster as the Tigers won 10-9.
 
DWU scored the ten runs on ten hits and had two errors. Peru State scored their nine runs on 14 hits and had four errors.
 
Killen went three for four to lead Peru State. Glass, McGinnity, Rupp, and Rodriguez each had two hits. Killen led the team with five RBI.
 
Matthew Sontag (Davie, Fla.) started the game and threw 4.1 innings. Sontag gave up 6 hits, 6 runs – 4 earned, and struck out 4. Sanchez tossed 0.2 innings allowing 1 hit and struck out 1. Angus Miller (Fontana, Calif.) threw 2 innings. Miller gave up 3 hits, 2 earned runs, and struck out 1. Missak threw the final 2 innings and gave up 2 runs – none earned, and struck out one. Missak was tagged for the loss.

SUNDAY GM 1 GAME BOOK
 
Sunday Game Two
 
The final game of the four-game series was another back-and-forth contest.
 
DWU scored one in each of the first four innings and two in the fifth with the Bobcats scoring three in each of the second and fourth innings for a 6-6 tie after five innings.

 
In the bottom of the second, after an out, Rupp singled thru the hole at second base. On a wild pitch, Rupp advanced to second. Rodriguez would reach on a walk and then Navarro loaded the bases as he was hit by a pitch. Dameron reached on a walk with Rupp scoring. Glass singled to shallow center and Rodriguez scored. McGinnity would hit a sacrifice fly allowing Navarro to score for Peru State's three runs in the inning.
 
Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Peru State struck again. Rodriguez singled to shallow right-center and went to second when Navarro singled. Dameron bunted and reached to load the bases. Glass grounded out, but Rodriguez would score. McGinnity had another sacrifice fly with Navarro scoring and Dameron moving to third. On Thomason's double, Dameron scored.
 
Neither team would score in the sixth, seventh, eighth, nor the ninth innings while not mounting much of a threat in any of the innings.
 
DWU would leave a base runner stranded on second in the top of the tenth without scoring.
 
In the bottom of the tenth, after an out, Rupp singled to shallow center, but was thrown out when Rodriguez singled down the line. Rodriguez would steal second to set up the possible winning run. Navarro sealed the deal with a double down the left field line salvaging the 7-6 win for Peru State.
 
The 'Cats scored their seven runs on 11 hits and committed three errors. DWU scored their six runs on 11 hits and had one error.
 
Rupp, who was celebrating his birthday, went three for five to lead the Bobcats. Glass, Thomason, Rodriguez, and Navarro each had two hits. Glass and McGinnity were each credited with two RBI.
 
Killen started on the mound for Peru State and went 3.1 innings. He allowed 7 hits, 4 runs – 3 earned, and struck out 4. Ryan Hirschfeld (Brush, Colo.) had his longest outing of the year in relief as he threw 6.2 innings and earned the win. Hirschfeld allowed 4 hits, 2 runs – 1 earned, and struck out 3.

SUNDAY GM 2 GAME BOOK
 
Upcoming Games
 
The Bobcats will start Heart of America Athletic Conference play this week.
 
On Wednesday, Peru State will host Culver-Stockton (Mo.) College in a double header beginning at 1 p.m. The Wildcats are 6-13 on the season having won their last two games.
 
Saturday, the 'Cats will be heading to Des Moines, Iowa, to face Grand View University in a double header beginning at 1 p.m. The Vikings have only played eight games so far this season and are 4-4 after dropping their last two games.
 
Then, next Tuesday, March 22, the Bobcats will host William Penn (Iowa) University in a double header beginning at 1 p.m. The Statesmen are 9-4 presently and have won seven in a row.