(Peru, Neb.)—On Sunday, April 30, the Peru State softball team split with Culver-Stockton on the road in the final series of the year. The Bobcats finished 15-32 overall and 10-26 in Heart conference play. The Wildcats finished 21-21 overall and 14-20 in conference play.
 
Below is a breakdown of how each game of the series went…
 
Game 1
 
Peru State in the top of the first inning was not able to get much going offensively outside of Payton Beckmann (Syracuse) drawing a walk. Culver-Stockton hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning, then a sac bunt moved the runner over to second. A double scored the first run of the game for the Wildcats.
 
After a productive ground out a single scored the second run as the Wildcats had an early 2-0 lead. C-SC scored two runs on three hits and left one on base.
 
Autumn Dixon (Stilwell, Kan.) tried to get a two out rally going with a single, but a strikeout ended another quick half inning for the Bobcats. Peru State had no runs on one hit and left one on base.
 
C-SC with one down hit a single via a bunt but the runner was then bounced in a fielder's choice. The Wildcats were able to draw a two out walk but that was it for C-SC. The Wildcats had no runs on one hit and left two on in the second.
 
The Bobcats with two down in the top of third got runners on as Beckmann was hit by a pitch and then Morgan Wilke (Bakersfield, Calif.) singled as Peru State had base runners on first and second. A strikeout ended the inning. C-SC went three up three down in the bottom of the third.
 
Hailey Wessel (Malcolm) hit a single with one down in the top of the fourth inning, but the Bobcats struggled from the plate in game one. Peru State had no runs on one hit and left one on base.
 
A Wildcat was hit by a pitch to start the home half of the fourth and then a sac bunt moved the runner into scoring position. The Wildcats were unable to bring her home as they had no runs on no hits and left one on.
 
Beckmann got aboard with two down in the top of the fifth as she was hit by a pitch, but a foul out later ended the half inning. C-SC with one down hit a single but she was bounced in a fielder's choice. Then the Wildcats got a two out rally going as three straight singles had them extend their lead to 4-0. The Wildcats scored two runs on four hits and left two on base.
 
Peru State went down in order in the top of the sixth inning. C-SC went 1-2-3 in the home half of the sixth. Dixon drew a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh inning, but a fly out, pop out and strikeout ended the game as C-SC won 4-0.
Alana Krieser (Lincoln) pitched six innings, striking out three batters giving up four runs on eight hits-the four runs were earned.
 
Dixon, Wessel and Wilke all tied for the lead in hits with one in game one.
 
Game 2
 
Ellie Ohlde (Fairbury) hit a leadoff single to start the first inning of the second game. The runner was then bounced in a fielder's choice. Wilke then blasted a two-run home run to make the score 2-0 Bobcats early. Carli Kohout (Cortland) and Jerica German (Cortland) hit back-to-back singles, but a fielder's choice and a ground out ended the half inning. Peru State scored two runs on four hits, an error and left two on base.
 
Back-to-back singles from the Wildcats with one down had runners on first and second. Then a sac fly to center field scored the first run of the game for C-SC. The Wildcats scored one run on three hits and left two on base.
 
Mya Mathes (Ankeny, Iowa) drew a leadoff walk in the top of the second inning, then with one down in the inning, Ohlde reached on a fielder's choice. Beckmann also reached on a fielder's choice, but the Wildcats were able to get the out at third. Wilke loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch, but a ground out ended the half inning. Peru State had no runs on no hits and left three on base.
 
Two walks with one down in the bottom of the second had C-SC threatening with runners on first and second. A productive ground out moved the runners into scoring position. A fly out ended the Wildcat threat.
 
German hit a leadoff single in the top of the third inning but then she was bounced in a fielder's choice. Then with two down Mathes hit an RBI single extending the Bobcats lead to 3-1. Peru State scored one run on three hits and left two on base.
 
C-SC drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third and then hit a single as the Wildcats threatened with runners on first and second. After a fly out an impressive double play from Beckmann and catcher Carlye Rothschild (Eros, La.) ended the inning for the Wildcats. C-SC had no runs on one hit and left one on base.
 
Beckmann hit a leadoff single in the top of the fourth inning, then a one out single from Kohout scored Beckmann as there was an error in left field and Kohout was able to get to second. Dixon singled with two down as the Bobcats now had runners on the corners.
 
Peru State left the runners on the corners but scored one run on three hits, an error and left two on base.
 
C-SC drew a one out walk and then was hit by a pitch as they had runners on first and second. Then with two down a second hit by pitch in the inning loaded the bases for the Wildcats. A walk scored the second run of the game for C-SC. Another walk put the Wildcats within one as they now trailed just 4-3. C-SC scored two runs on no hits and left three on base.
 
Mathes hit a leadoff single in the top of the fifth then Alaina Lacy (Lincoln) pinch hit for Maddie Howard (Council Bluffs, Iowa) and reached on a fielder's choice and Mathes was safe via an error. Howard then came back into the game to pinch run. Ohlde then reached on an error unfortunately there was an out at the plate, then Beckmann reached on a fielder's choice but there was a second out at home.
 
Wilke then singled to reload the bases for the Bobcats. Then a Kohout single scored two runs as the Bobcats doubled up the Wildcats leading 6-3. German then walked as the Bobcats still had the bases juiced. A fielder's choice ended the inning. Peru State scored two runs on three hits, two errors and left three on base.
 
C-SC led the bottom of the fifth off with a double. Then an RBI single had the Bobcat lead trimmed to two. Then a walk had the Wildcats threatening with runners on first and second. A sac bunt then moved the runners into scoring position. A single then loaded the bases for C-SC. A sac fly had the Bobcat lead dwindle to one as they clung on winning 6-5. The Wildcats scored two runs on three hits and left two on base.
 
Howard was hit by a pitch with two down in the top of the sixth, but the Bobcats were unable to get any offense going in the top half.
 
C-SC drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth and then with one down a fielding error had the Wildcats threatening with runners on first and second. A double play ended the threat from the Wildcats.
 
Peru State went three up three down in the bottom of the seventh. The Wildcats hit a single with two down in the seventh, but the Bobcats won the final game of the season by a score of 6-5.
 
Layla Worthington (Holladay, Utah) pitched 3.2 innings, striking out one batter giving up three runs on four hits-the three runs were earned. Cheyenne Leach (Wymore) pitched 3.1 innings striking out four batters giving up two runs on four hits-the two runs were earned. Leach took the win.
 
Kohout led the way in hits and RBIs in game two with three hits and two RBIs.
 
 The Bobcats did not qualify for the post-season tournament but will be recruiting to bolster their roster for spring 2023.