(Peru, Neb.)—The Peru State softball team on the weekend of Friday, March 3, and Saturday, March 4, went 1-3 at the Friends Tournament in Wichita, Kan. The Bobcats are now 2-10 overall.
 
Below is a breakdown of how each game in the Friends Tournament went…
 
 
Game 1 @ Friends L 5-0
 
The Peru State softball team fell to the Friends Falcons in the first game of the Friends tournament 5-0 on Friday, March 3.
 
The Bobcats started out hot with a leadoff single from Ellie Ohlde (Fairbury) in the top of the first inning, but then two foul outs and strike out left Ohlde on base. The Falcons were able to get runs on the board immediately in the bottom of the first.
 
An RBI double broke open the scoring for the Falcons as they led 1-0. Later in the inning Friends hit a two-run home run to take a 3-0 lead over the Bobcats. The Falcons scored three runs on two hits an error and left no one on base.
 
Peru State in the second inning struggled again on offense outside of a Kylee Weiss (El Dorado, Kan.) walk. Friends kept the bats hot in the second inning with a leadoff home run to make the score 4-0 Falcons.
 
Ohlde was able to get a double in the top of the third inning, but the Bobcat offense struggled all afternoon. In the bottom of the third the Falcons hit their third home run of the game as they now led 5-0.
 
Friends scored one run on two hits and left one on base in the third. Peru State went 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth inning. Friends was threatening in the bottom of the fourth inning but left two runners in scoring position as the inning came to a close.
 
Peru State went three up three down in the top of the fifth and the Falcons again left runners in scoring position in the home half of the fifth. Ohlde led off the top of the sixth with a single but two fly outs and a ground out ended the top half.
 
The Falcons were not able to do much damage in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Bobcats went down in order in the final inning.
 
Ohlde was the only player on the team to get hits as she recorded three. Peru State also recorded three errors in the game.
 
Cheyenne Leach (Wymore) pitched in six innings giving up five runs on eight hits and four of the hits were earned.
 
Game 2 v. Waldorf L 7-4
 
In the second game of the Friends tournament Peru State fell to Waldorf 7-4. In the first inning Waldorf was threatening with runners on base but did not get anyone across the plate. The Bobcats went three up three down in the home half of the first.
 
In the second inning, the Warriors again left two runners on base and it was still 0-0. The Bobcats were able to get Lanie Dreyer (Anniston, Ala.) on base via an error. A little later in the inning Camyrn Craddock (Waverly) was hit by a pitch as Peru State had runners on first and second.
 
Andrea Page (Palisade) hit a two RBI double to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead. Peru State scored two runs on one hit an error and left one on in the second. The lead was short lived as Waldorf scored five runs in the top of the third.
 
The Warriors hit a leadoff home run in to start off the inning. Later in the inning the Warriors were able to get a two out rally going as they blasted a two run home run over the fence to take a 3-2 lead.
 
Late in the third inning the Warriors had the bases juiced after a hit-by-pitch, walk and a single. An error then scored two more runs as Waldorf now led 5-2. The Warriors scored five runs on three hits an error and left two on base.
 
The Bobcats had the bases loaded in the bottom of the third from a fielder's choice, a single and a walk but a groundout ended the promising inning to get the runs back in the third.
 
Both offenses then stalled until the seventh inning. In the top of the seven inning A two-out two RBI double scored two more runs for the Warriors as they now led 7-2. Waldorf scored two runs on three hits an error and left one on base.
 
Kaelyn Hamblen (Papillion) pinch hit in the seventh and hit a leadoff single. Ohlde then hit a single and both runners advanced into scoring position after a wild pitch. Jami Mans (Fairbury) loaded the bases drawing a walk.
 
Then with two outs Olivia Gordon (Oskaloosa, Iowa) hit a two RBI single and cut the deficit to three as the score was now 7-4. A strike out unfortunately ended the game. Peru State scored two runs on three hits and left two on base. The Warriors won 7-4.
 
Page led the team in hits with two. Gordon and Page both knocked in two RBIs each.
 
Dreyer took the loss pitching three innings striking out four batters giving up five runs on four hits three were earned. Hailey Wessel (Malcolm) pitched four innings striking out three giving up two runs on three hits and both runs were earned.
 
Game 3 v Dakota State W 11-5
 
The Peru State softball team defeated Dakota State 11-5 on Saturday, March 4. The Bobcats exploded on offense in the first couple of innings against the Trojans.

Dreyer hit an RBI double scoring Ohlde for the first run of the game. Then Page hit a two RBI fly out to right field scoring Morgan Wilke (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Dreyer. Peru State scored three runs in the top of the first inning.
 
Dakota State was able to get a leadoff single in the home half of the first but no damage was done. Peru State plated five more runs in the top of the second. Two doubles from Weiss and Carlye Rothschild (Eros, La.) had runners in scoring position. Then an error scored the fourth run of the game for the Bobcats.
 
Rothschild then scored the fifth run by stealing home. Later in the inning the bases were loaded after Ohlde walked and Mans hit a single. Another Trojan error had the Bobcats plate another run. A Dreyer walk and Page reaching on a fielder's choice gave the Bobcats a commanding 8-0 lead.
 
Peru State scored five runs on three hits, three errors and left two on base.
 
Dakota State still could not get much offense going in the bottom of the second. The scoring continued for the Bobcats in the third inning as Rothschild led off the top of third with a double then Maddie Howard (Council Bluffs, Iowa) hit an RBI single as Peru State led 9-0.
 
Later in the inning with the bases juiced Page hit a two RBI single scoring Wilke and Ohlde as Peru State was leading 11-0 in the top of the third. The Trojans went three up three down in the third inning.
 
Scoring halted in the top of the fourth in for the Bobcats as they left two runners on base. The Trojans got five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
Dakota State hit a one out home run to make the score 11-1. Later in the inning a single scored the second run of the game for the Trojans. The damage was then done with a two RBI double and an RBI single scoring three more runs as Dakota State now only trailed by six runs.
 
The Trojans scored five runs on seven hits an error and left two on base. Peru State went 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth inning. Dakota State threatened in the bottom of the fifth but were not able to scratch across any runs.
 
The Bobcats threatened in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded but a double play and a fielder's choice ended the threat. Dakota State was able to get a triple in the bottom of the sixth but no damage was done.
 
Peru State's hot bats had cooled off completely by the seventh inning. Dakota State was able to get two singles in the home half of the seventh but Peru State secured the 11-5 victory.
 
Rothschild led the team in hits with two, Page had team-leading five RBIs in the game. Leach earned the win pitching a complete game striking out six batters giving up five runs on thirteen hits all five runs were earned.
 
Peru State v Avila L 12-6
 
In the fourth and final game in the Friends Tournament over the weekend it was an offensive the explosion from both teams unfortunately the Bobcats were on the wrong side of the fireworks.
 
Avila was able to get an early 2-0 in the top of the first inning after its leadoff batter was able to get a single steal two bases and score on an error. Later in the inning an RBI double scored the second run of the game for the Eagles.
 
The Bobcat defense would limit the damage to two runs as Avila scored two runs on two hits three errors and left three on base in the top of the first inning.
 
Peru State hit a leadoff homerun from Ohlde to get the score back within in one run in the bottom of the first trailing 2-1. The Bobcats offense unfortunately stalled out there.
 
The Eagles bats and base runner were hot most of the game as they had a runner on third with two outs after a sac bunt. Then an Eagle batter blasted one over the fence scoring two runs for Avila as they now led 4-1. The Eagles scored two runs on two hits in the top of the second inning.
 
Hamblen was able to lead off the home half of the second with a single and then later in the inning, Wessel hit an RBI double to make the score 4-2. The potent offenses continued into the third inning.
 
Avila had the bases juiced in the top of third and were able to get two more runs from an RBI single into right field. A little later on another RBI single scored Avila's seventh run of the game. The Eagles scored three runs on four hits an error and left one on base.
 
In the bottom of the third the Bobcats had runners on the corners after two singles from Ohlde and Wilke then Dreyer reached on an error and Ohlde would come into score. Peru State was able to load the bases and then got a score from a sac fly from Page and then a walk from Wessel scored Dreyer.
 
Peru State scored three runs on three hits an error and left three on in the third and the score was now 7-5. The Eagles in the top of the fourth inning were able to get three more runs from an inside the park home run. Avila was leading 10-5 after three and a half innings of play.
 
The Bobcats were able to get one back in the bottom of the fourth as Ohlde was able to score on a passed ball after hitting a single earlier in the inning. Peru State now trailed 10-6.
 
Avila scored its 11^th run of the game in the top of the fifth from an RBI single but no other damage was done. Hamblen hit a double to lead off the bottom of the fifth but would later get caught in a double play situation. Peru State threatened in the bottom of the fifth but was not able to do any damage.
 
Both offenses had finally cooled off by the time sixth inning rolled around as neither of them scored. Avila hit a home run in the top of the seventh inning as the score was now 12-6 and it was now or never for the Bobcats.
 
Peru State was able to get two runners on base in the second but would fall to Avila 12-6.
 
Hamblen led the way with four hits and Wessel led the team with two RBIs.
 
Dreyer took the loss pitching three innings striking out one batter giving up seven runs on eight hits six of the runs were earned. Wessel pitched three innings striking out two batters giving up two runs on five hits each run was earned. Mans pitched an inning giving up three runs on three hits all three runs were earned.
 
Peru State is scheduled for its home opener Saturday, March 11, for a doubleheader with College of Saint Mary. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.