(Peru, Neb.)- The Peru State Baseball Team swept the Graceland Yellowjackets in their four game series on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The Bobcats are now 9-11 in the Heart of America Conference and 15-21 overall.  

Game 1 (Peru State 5 – Graceland 2) 

The Bobcats secured a 5-2 victory in the series opener, thanks to a strong performance both at the plate and on the mound. Antonio Benitez was a key contributor, hitting a single in the second inning to score Kutty George, putting the Bobcats ahead early. In the fourth, Jonas Meairs-Richman hit a sacrifice fly to bring George home once again, extending the lead to 2-0. 

The fifth inning saw the Bobcats add three more runs: Garrett Pavletich singled to score Airam Bentancourt, George walked to bring in Josh Schaller, and Benitez was hit by a pitch to score Jomar Perez, completing the Bobcats' scoring for the day. 

On the mound, Kevin Diaz was dominant, pitching all seven innings. He allowed just eight hits and two runs while striking out nine batters. The Bobcats finished with nine hits as a team, with Schaller leading the charge with a stellar 4-hit performance. 

Game 2 (Peru State 7 – Graceland 6) 

The Bobcats jumped out to an early lead in Game 2, with Josh Schaller delivering a single to score Xavier Solla, followed by Jomar Perez's single that brought Schaller home. In the second inning, Solla added another run with a single that scored Antonio Benitez, putting the Bobcats ahead 3-0. 

The Bobcats' offense continued to shine in the fourth inning. Benitez laced a double to bring Airam Bentancourt across the plate, Schaller hit a sacrifice fly to score Benitez, and Perez doubled to bring in Jaled Mercader. However, the Yellowjackets answered back in the fifth inning, rallying to tie the game at 6-6. 

With both teams deadlocked, the game stretched into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Bobcats' defense held strong, sending the Yellowjackets down without scoring. The Bobcats seized the opportunity in the bottom half of the inning. After a walk out Bentancourt on second and Benitez on first, Solla delivered the game-winning single, scoring Bentancourt and securing the victory. 

Solla and Benitez each finished with three hits, while Perez, Garrett Pavletich, and Bentancourt each had two. On the mound, Blake Urwin gave a solid performance, allowing only six hits and recording two strikeouts, keeping the Yellowjackets' offense in check throughout the game. 

Game 3 (Peru State 3 – Graceland 2) 

The Bobcats fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory over Graceland. Graceland struck first, but in the sixth inning, the Bobcats rallied to tie the game. Gustavo Rivera led off with a single, scoring Xavier Solla, and Josh Schaller followed with another single, bringing home Jackson Lynch to knot the game at 2-2. Both teams struggled to gain the upper hand in the seventh, sending the game into the eighth inning. 

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Tyson Fancher was at the plate when a pitch clock violation resulted in a walk, pushing Solla across the plate and giving the Bobcats their first lead of the game. The 3-2 win was capped by the team's gritty performance at the plate, with Rivera contributing two of the team's seven hits. 

On the mound, Blake Denson was stellar, pitching all eight innings. He allowed just five hits and two runs while striking out two batters. 
 

Game 4 (Peru State 9 – Graceland 3) 

 The Bobcats quickly took the lead in the game, with Jackson Lynch scoring the first run. In the third inning, Jomar Perez crossed the plate on an error, followed by a single from Jackson Lynch that scored Blake Denson. 

In the fourth inning, Antonio Benitez scored on a passed ball, Gustavo Rivera hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Xavier Solla, and Jomar Perez hit a home run, adding to the Bobcats' growing lead. 

The Bobcats didn't let up, as they added more runs in the sixth inning. Josh Schaller tripled to score Jaled Mercader, Tyson Fancher singled to bring in Schaller, and Jackson Lynch followed with a single to score Fancher. 

The Bobcats finished the game with 12 hits, with Jackson Lynch leading the way with three hits. Antonio Benitez and Jomar Perez each had two hits. 

On the mound, Garrett Pavletich pitched all seven innings, allowing only three runs while striking out two batters. 

Next: The Bobcats will be on the road to Atchison, Kansas on Saturday and Sunday, April 12th and 13th to play Benedictine at 1 and 3pm each day.