(Peru, Neb.)- The Peru State Softball Team defeated the William Penn Statesmen in two walk off wins on Sunday, April 7th. The Bobcats are now 4-6 in the Heart of America Conference and 9-20 overall.
Game 1 (Peru State 5 – William Penn 4)
The Bobcats struck first in the fourth inning, when Eva Schultz's sacrifice ground out allowed Jami Mans to cross the plate. The offense continued to roll in the fifth inning as Kloey Hamblen's double brought in Maci Green and Kaylee Harsh. Hamblen then scored on a double by Jami Mans, giving the Bobcats a 4-0 lead.
However, the Statesmen battled back in the sixth, evening the score at 4-4 and setting up a dramatic final inning. In the bottom of the seventh, Kloey Hamblen came through again with a key single to right field, advancing Leann Hawkins to third. An overthrow by the Statesmen allowed Hawkins to score the game-winning run for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats finished the game with eight hits, with Kloey Hamblen, Jami Mans, and Ellie Ohlde each recording two hits.
In the circle, Emily Vanatta started strong, allowing just four hits while keeping the Statesmen off balance. Sage Issacs followed with a stellar performance, allowing only one hit and striking out one batter. Sydney Chubbuck closed out the game, throwing two innings and adding two strikeouts to secure the win.
Game 2 (Peru State 4 – William Penn 3)
In a nail-biting game, the Statesmen took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. However, the Bobcats quickly responded in the third when Kloey Hamblen hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Kaylee Harsh to score and tie the game 1-1. The two teams remained locked in a tight contest, with the score still tied at 1-1 after seven innings, sending the game into extra innings.
The Statesmen pulled ahead in the eighth inning, taking a 3-1 lead and putting the pressure on the Bobcats. But the Bobcats weren't done yet. In a thrilling bottom of the eighth, Ellie Ohlde singled to bring home Maci Green, and a sacrifice fly by Kylee Wies tied the game at 3-3 with only two outs remaining.
With the bases loaded, Kylee Dieckmann stepped up to the plate and hit a ball to the pitcher, who bobbled the ball. That allowed Ellie Ohlde to score the game-winning run, sealing a dramatic 4-3 victory for the Bobcats. The team recorded seven hits in the game, with Leann Hawkins and Ellie Ohlde each contributing two.
Sage Issacs, the Bobcats' starting pitcher, had an outstanding performance, allowing just one run and striking out two batters.
Next: The Bobcats will travel to Parkville, Missouri on Tuesday, April 8 to play Park University in their rescheduled game from Saturday, April 5th. The Bobcats will play at 2:00 and 4:00pm.
