(Peru, Neb.)— The Peru State baseball team hung tough for two games against Wayland Baptist in Friday's doubleheader.  The Bobcats fall to 0-6 on the season and the Pioneers improve to 6-1. It was all Pioneers in Game 3 during Saturday's matinee. Below is a full series recap of all three games.
 
Game 1
The Peru State men's baseball team lost a heartbreaker to Wayland Baptist in game one of the three-game series Friday afternoon. The Bobcats lost 8-6 giving away a late lead.

In the beginning stages of the game, it looked as if we had a pitchers' duel on our hands as neither team scored any runs in the first two innings.

That trend was looking to break in the bottom of third inning when the Pioneers were threatening with the bases loaded and only one out. Pitcher Diego Oquendo (Merida, Venezuela) came up big and got out of the bases loaded jam.

The Pioneers broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field to take the 1-0 lead. The Bobcat bats started to get hot in the fifth inning as they started with an Angel Andrades (Humacao, Puerto Rico) single.

Then Josue Cisnero (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) blasted a home run to right field to take the 2-1 lead.  That is all the Bobcats would get though scoring two runs off two hits. The Pioneers plated three runs in the bottom frame to regain the lead this time leading 4-2.

The offenses would stay hot the rest of the game, as in the top of the sixth the Bobcats hit another two-run jack this time from Jesus Tavares (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) to tie the game at four.
Josue Francisco (San Cristobal, Dominican Republic) followed up the home run with a single and would score on the next play as Andrades reach on an error. The Bobcats took the 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. The Bobcats scored three runs on two hits and two errors in the inning.

The lead was short lived as the Pioneers responded with a huge half inning as they scored four runs on three hits and an error to take the 8-5 lead with one inning to go. The Bobcats tried to get a final inning rally going as they'd get one run back in the top of seventh but failed to complete the comeback and lost the game 8-6.


 Oquendo pitched 4.2 innings, striking out seven batters giving up four hits on four earned runs he unfortunately took the loss. Devin Adams (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) pitched one inning striking out one batter giving up four runs on three hits but only one was earned. John Laureno (Gurabo, Puerto Rico) rounded out the pitching for the Bobcats.

Five Bobcats were tied for hits with one. Two Bobcats Tavares and Cisnero were tied for leading in RBIs with two apiece. The Bobcats looked to even the series in game two.

Game 2
Game two of the series did not go in favor of Peru State as the Bobcats were shut out by the Pioneers for six innings. The Bobcats did rally in the final inning, but the rally fell short as they lost game two 8-4.

The first inning after the Bobcats went three up three down, the Pioneers got to work on offense right away as they loaded the bases. Then the Pioneers hit a grand slam to right center to go up 4-0. The Pioneers had four runs off two hits in the first inning.

After the hot start from the Pioneers, they cooled off in the next few innings as they only scored one run between the second and fourth innings. The Bobcats unfortunately were not able to get the bats going in the second, third or fourth inning as they only had one hit.

The Pioneers added two runs in the fifth, off two hits and one was from a throwing error. The Pioneers would head to the top of the sixth with a 7-0 lead. The Pioneers added another run in the sixth with a home run to center field after holding the Bobcats scoreless for another inning.

The Bobcats finally got on the board in the seventh, starting with Tavares getting walked and then Cisnero reaching on an error. A Xavier Wright (Calumet City, Ill.) single scored Blake Denson (Broken Bow) to put the Bobcats on the board who pinch ran for Cisnero. Then the next at bat Adams hit a home run down the right field line scoring Wright and Denson.

The Bobcats got one more baserunner on in the final inning, but the comeback ultimately fell short as they would lose the game 8-4. All four runs came in the final inning.

Emmanuel Cabrera (Villa Gonzales, Dominican Republic) pitched 4.1 innings, striking out seven batters, giving up seven runs on four hits but only four were earned. Cabrera would take the loss. Juan Rodriquez (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) pitched 1.2 innings, striking out a batter and giving up one run on two hits but only one run was earned.

Hitting was few and far between as they were only four players with one hit. Adams led the way in RBIs with three from the home run in the final inning. The Bobcats had one more crack at the Pioneers Saturday to get their first win of the season.

Game 3

Game three of the series the Pioneers flexed their muscle as they blanked the Bobcats on their way to an 18-0 victory and the game ended in seven innings. The Bobcats fall to 0-6 on the season and the Pioneers improve to 6-1.
In the first inning and half neither side could get a run across home plate, then the Pioneers broke up the scoring in the second inning. They scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the second.

The Bobcats went three up three down in the third and the bats stayed hot for the Pioneers in the third, as they homered twice in the inning and scored a few more runs on a single and a throwing error. The Pioneers scored six runs on five hits and one error in the inning. The Pioneers had broke open the game as they lead 11-0 heading into the fourth.

In the fourth inning the Bobcats finally broke the no-hitter as Wesley Bradford (Bakersfield, Calif.) singled to left field. Jose Solis (Los Santos, Panama) singled in his next at bat and it looked as if the Bobcats were threatening to score. Unfortunately, the Bobcats could not get either across the plate and left two baserunners in scoring position.

The Pioneers offense kept chugging along in the bottom of the fourth as they scored seven runs off three hits and an error, they would take an 18-0 lead.  There was not much action for the final three innings of play as the Bobcats would be swept by the Pioneers three games to zero.

Sebastian Rodriguez (Cayey, Puerto Rico) was the starting pitcher as he pitched just 2.2 innings striking out three batters, he gave up 10 earned runs on nine hits he would take the loss. Jan Vargas (Juncos, Puerto Rico) pitched two innings, striking out three batters giving up only one hit. Josue Vega (Cayey, Puerto Rico) pitched one inning giving up two runs on two hits but only one was earned. Fernando Falero  (Carolina, Puerto Rico) pitched 0.1 innings giving up five runs on one hit, three of which were earned. Rounded out the pitching was Joshua Santiago he gave up one run on two hits.

Bradford and Solis were the only two Bobcat batters to record a hit in the game.

Here is what assistant coach GianFranco Garlobo said about the series.

"Weekend did not go as expected, we saw some stuff that we will have to address and get better at," said Garlobo. "This week we plan to have a good practice this upcoming Monday and get ready for this upcoming week."

Here is what Garlobo said about the busy upcoming week.

"Tabor and Oklahoma Wesleyan are solid teams that are going to be ready to compete on a high level."

The Bobcats have a quick turnaround as they are in Hillsboro, Kansas to take on the Tabor Bluejays in a double header Tuesday February 15, starting at 1:00 p.m.