(Peru, Neb.)—The Peru State baseball team split a doubleheader with Oklahoma Panhandle State on Sunday, February 19. It was supposed to be a four-game series but the first two games were canceled.
 
The Bobcats are now 3-5 overall while the Aggies are now 5-8-1 on the season.
 
Below is a breakdown of how the doubleheader split went…
 
Game 1 @ OPSU W 9-7
 
There was not much action going in the first inning as neither team could get a run across the plate. The runs started to pile in for the Bobcats in the second inning.
 
A single from Yodelvy Garcia and a walk by Wes Bradford (Bakersfield, Calif.) had Peru State with runners on first and second.
 
A little later in the inning Angel Andrades (Humacao, P.R.) hit a two RBI single bringing two Bobcats across the plate to score. Then a Randy Jimenez (Santiago De Los Caballeros) single kept two Bobcat runners on the bags.
 
Later in the inning Andrades and Jimenez scored on an error to make the score 4-0 Bobcats. Peru State scored four runs on four hits an error and left two on base in the top of the second.
 
The Aggies were able to get two back in the bottom of the second with a lead off home run and then later in the inning a runner scoring on a balk. The score was now 4-2 Bobcats after two innings of play.
 
There was nothing going in the top of third for the Bobcats and the Aggies were able to advance a runner into scoring position but were unable to bring him across the plate.
 
The Bobcats went three up three down in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth Oklahoma Panhandle State was able to get one run back after a leadoff single and that batter would later score on an error as the score was now 4-3 through four innings of play.
 
Again, the offenses struggled in the fifth inning with not much to show for either team. The Bobcats woke up in the sixth inning as Efrain Torres (Aibonito, P.R.) hit a one-out double. Peru State got a two out rally going as Jimenez hit an RBI single to make the score 5-3.
 
Then an Ivan Medina (Maracaibo, Venezuela) hit a two-run home run to make the score 7-3. Peru State scored three runs on three hits and left one on base.
 
The Aggies were able to get two runs back in the bottom of the sixth after a hit by pitch that advanced a runner home as well as an RBI single. OPSU scored two runs on two hits and left two stranded in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Peru State was able to score two more runs in the top of the seventh inning on a couple of groundouts as the Bobcats now led 9-5.
 
The Aggies were able to score twice in the final half inning of play. The first off a wild pitch and the second from an RBI ground out double play. Peru State held on for the 9-7 win.
 
Kevin Diaz came away with the win as he pitched five innings striking out five batters giving up five runs on six hits all five were earned.
 
Micah McLeod (Franklin County, Fla.) pitched 1.2 innings striking out two batters giving up two runs on one hit and each run was earned. Garrett Pavletich (Bakersfield, Calif.) also pitched in the game.
 
Jimenez led the way in hits with two. Medina led the way in RBIs with two.
 
Game 2 @ OPSU L 6-5
 
 
The Bobcats started off game two hot as Jacob Aberg (Lincoln) led off the top of the first with a walk. A sac bunt from Josue Vazquez (Salinas, P.R.) moved the runner into scoring position. Then Will Reynolds (Bakersfield, Calif.) singled as the Bobcats had runners on the corners.
 
A Garcia RBI double broke open the score for Peru State leading 1-0, the Bobcats were able to get one more run across the plate via an error in the first. The Bobcats scored two runs on two hits an error and left two on.
 
Scoring was difficult to come by for the next few innings of play for both teams. Peru State was able to scratch another run across in the top of the fifth inning. Vazquez was able to get into scoring position after a single and a stolen bag. Later in the inning Vazquez was able to score on an error.
 
Peru State scored one run on one hit an error and left one on as they were up 3-0 after four and a half innings. The Aggies were able to score their first run of the game after an RBI triple making it a two run game as they now trailed 3-1. Later in the inning an error led to two more runs as OPSU tied the game at three.
 
The Bobcats were able to get two more runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-3 lead. Unfortunately the Bobcats were walked off by the Aggies on an RBI flyout and they would end up losing the game 6-5.
 
Diego Oquendo (Merida, Venezuela) was credited with the loss pitching four innings striking out four batters and giving up only one hit. Fernando Falero (Carolina, P.R.) pitched .2 innings giving up six runs on three hits and four were earned. Vazquez pitched two innings striking out three batters.
 
Garcia led the way in hits with two. McLeod led the way in RBIs with two.
 
Peru State travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, February 25, and Sunday, February 26 to take on in-state foe Hastings College for a four-game series. First pitch both days is set for 1:00 p.m.