(Peru, Neb,)—The Peru State baseball team split a doubleheader with Grand View at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa on Monday, March 20. The Bobcats are now 4-8 overall and 1-3 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play while the Vikings are now 13-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
 
Below is a breakdown of how the doubleheader went…
 
 
Game 1 W 12-2 @ Grand View
 
Not much action for either team in the first inning of play as both teams went three up three down. In the second inning both the Vikings and the Bobcats were at least able to get the bats going as Wesley Bradford (Bakersfield, Calif.) hit a double but Peru State was unable to bring anyone across in the second same for the Vikings.
 
Peru State scored its first two runs of the game in the top of the third inning. Ivan Medina (Maracaibo, Venezuela) hit a leadoff single for the Bobcats. Then Jacob Aberg (Lincoln) hit a single as the Bobcats had two runners on.
 
Josue Vazquez (Salinas, P.R.) hit a two RBI single as Peru State got on the board first leading 2-0 in the top of the third inning. The Bobcats scored two runs on three hits and left two on base.
 
The Vikings went three up three down in the home half of the third inning. Peru State's offense was hot in the first game as Aberg hit a two RBI double in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 4-0 Peru State.
 
Will Reynolds (Bakersfield, Calif.) then hit an RBI single to make the score 5-0 Bobcats. Peru State scored three runs on two hits an error and left one on in the first. The Vikings struggled on offense all of game one as they were only able to reach via a hit by pitch and a fielder' choice.
 
Peru State's defense also came to play in game one as they converted a 5-4-3 double play in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
The Bobcats loaded the bases in the fifth inning after Bradford was hit by a pitch, Micah McLeod (Franklin County, Fla.) walked as both runners advanced into scoring position on wild pitches then Randy Jimenez (Santiago De Los Caballeros, D.R.) walked but unfortunately Peru State left all three players on base.
 
Grand View threatened in the bottom of the fifth with a walk and a double as two runners were in scoring position. Two fly outs ended the inning for the Vikings.
 
Peru State's hot day at the plate continued in the top of the sixth as Vazquez singled and then advanced two bases as he was now 90-feet away from the plate. Angel Andrades (Humacao, P.R.) hit a single to give the Bobcats their sixth run of the game.
 
Then Bradford hit a double to make the score 7-0 in the top of the sixth. A couple of productive walks led to an RBI walk for Medina as the score was now 8-0 Bobcats. Peru State scored three runs on three hits an error and left three on base.
 
Grand View went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Vazquez scorching hot day at the plate continued as he hit a two RBI triple as Peru State now had double digit runs leading 10-0. A McLeod double later in the inning scored two more runs as Peru State led 12-0 with one half inning to play.
 
Peru State scored four runs on three hits and left one on base.
 
Grand View hit a two out two run home run in the bottom of the seventh, but the Bobcats came away with 12-2 victory for their first conference win of the season.
 
Kevin Diaz (Dominican Republic) pitched a complete game taking the win bringing his record to 3-1 on the year. Diaz had three strikeouts giving up two runs on four hits both runs were earned.
 
Vazquez led the way in hits and RBIs with three hits and four RBIs in the day.
 
Game 2 L 9-8 @ Grand View
 
Peru State kept the bats hot in the first inning of game two. Vazquez hit an RBI double bringing in Reynolds and Aberg as the score was 2-0. McLeod then hit an RBI single in the top of the first as the Bobcats scored three runs on two hits an error and left one on base. Grand View went three up three down in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Neither team could get much going in the second inning as well. Reynolds then blasted a leadoff home run to make the score 4-0 Bobcats in the top of the third. Later in the third inning an RBI double from McLeod had the score at 5-0.
 
The Bobcats scored two runs on two hits and left one on base. Grand View scored its first two runs of the game in the home half of the third inning from an RBI double after two Viking runners advanced into scoring position from a balk. Peru State's lead was cut to three. Grand View scored two runs on one hit and left one on base.
 
Peru State did not have success at the plate in the fourth inning. Grand View in the bottom of the fourth inning tied the game with a three RBI double clearing the loaded the bases as the game was tied at five all after four.
 
The Bobcats regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning as Bradford hit an RBI single to make the score 6-5 in the fifth. The Vikings hit a home run over the right field wall to tie the game at six apiece in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
Yodelvy Garcia (Santiago, D.R.) gave the Bobcats the lead back after an RBI double then later in the inning a Vazquez double had Peru State up 8-6. Peru State scored two runs on four hits and left one on in the sixth inning.
 
Grand View in the bottom of the sixth inning hit an RBI double that got the lead down to within one trailing 8-7. Then a little later in the home half of the sixth a two RBI double gave the Vikings a 9-8 lead. Grand View would hold on for the one run win.
 
Diego Oquendo (Merida, Venezuela) pitching 4.1 innings striking out six batters giving up six runs on six hits all of them earned. Fernando Falero (Carolina, P.R.) pitched one inning striking out two batters, McLeod pitched 0.2 innings taking the loss giving up three runs on two hits all the runs were earned. Luis Pacheco (Miami, Fla.) also pitched for the Bobcats.
 
McLeod, Reynolds and Vazquez all tied for the lead in hits with two each. McLeod and Vazquez also tied for the lead in RBIs with two apiece.
 
The back half of the Peru State Grand View series has been postponed and will be made up at a later date. Peru State hosts Park for a four-game home opening series Saturday, March 25, and Sunday, March 26, first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. each day.