Wildcats Avoid Road Sweep with 13-1 Victory in Series Finale against Bobcats

PERU, Neb. - After dropping its first three games of the series, Baker baseball defeated Peru State, 13-1 in the finale to avoid a four-game sweep by the Bobcats in a weather-shifted conference tilt on Thursday and Friday in Peru, Neb.

Game 1 - PSC 5, BU 4
The Wildcats, who had won all three of their previous series openers, scored four runs in the first inning, but let a 4-0 lead slip away from them as Peru State came up with a devastating four-run sixth inning to steal game one, 5-4.

A one-out single from Tanner Twillman sprung a stretch of six straight hits for BU in the opening frame of the series. Eli Young and Chris Bollefer smacked RBI doubles and Peyton Sparks delivered a two-run single to give the Wildcats a quick 4-0 start to the day.

BU starter Jaxon Holzem pitched five solid innings and allowed just one run, a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth before turning it over to the bullpen in the sixth. The Bobcats scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run double completing their comeback at 5-4 in the first game of the series.

Game 2 - PSC 6, BU 2
Baker avoided being shut out for the first time this season with its seventh-inning rally coming up short as the Bobcats earned the day one sweep with a 6-2 win in Thursday's nightcap.

The Wildcats had just one hit in the first six innings against PSC starter Kevin Diaz before finally cracking through in the top of the seventh. Going a perfect 6-for-6 on the day, Brennan Johnson drove in both runs in the seventh after following up Young's double with a double of his own to get the 'Cats within four.

Peru State hit a pair of home runs in game two with a two-run shot opening up the scoring before a solo homer in the fifth gave the hosts a 4-0 advantage. The Bobcats scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to pad their lead before surviving the seventh-inning scare from BU to hold on for a 6-2 win.

Game 3 - PSC 10, BU 1
The Bobcats used a six-run first inning to carry over their momentum from day one and cruise to a 10-1 victory in the first game of Friday's doubleheader.

In the bottom of the first, a couple of RBI doubles broke the inning open for PSC as the hosts took a 6-0 lead to start game three. Back-to-back singles from Jon Jenkins and Kolden Howerton gave the Wildcats some life in the top of the fourth, but the Bobcats were able to get out of the jam unharmed.

Peru State tacked on a couple of runs in the fifth and sixth to stretch its lead out to double-digits before a sac fly Johnson scored Baker's lone run in the top of the seventh.

Game 4 - BU 13, PSC 1
Trailing 1-0, the Baker offense followed up a six-run fifth inning with a seven-run explosion in the seventh to fend off a PSC sweep with a 13-1 blowout in the finale. Evan Gottstein and Trent Davidson combined to hold the Bobcats to just one run with Davidson tallying six strikeouts in his four innings of work.

Johnson finished off his weekend tear with another two-hit performance, tallying five RBI and registering an inside-the-park home run in the top of the seventh to seal the double-digit win for BU. He drove in the first two runs of the game with a two-run single in the fifth before a double by Battle brought two more across to make it a 4-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Jenkins' RBI single ignited another big inning for the Wildcats with Twillman and Howerton each driving in a run before Johnson cleared the bases on his first round-tripper of the year.

Up next, Baker will host conference rival Benedictine for an Easter weekend series with things kicking off on Thursday, March 28 at 1 p.m. at Sauder Field in Baldwin City. The two clubs will close out the series on Saturday, March 30 with first pitch at 1 p.m.

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