Bobcats Split With Ranked Owens, Remain 1st In OCCAC
The Bobcats traveled to Owens College for an OCCAC double header in which they split the day with the NJCAA ranked Express dropping the first game 8-4 and winning the second 11-3. This split moves the Bobcats record to 12-6 on the season, and an OCCAC leading 5-1 in conference play. Torrey Roper led the Bobcats offensively with 5 hits on the day including a double, John Costella had 4 hits including 2 doubles, and Tylor Wolfe had 3 singles.
Game 2
The Bobcats jumped out in front when Logan Wunderle hit an RBI double in the first inning scoring Jackson Homage to get the Bobcat offense going. Wunderle would score on a Riley Day single to center, who would later score on Torrey Roper's single to left making the score 3-0 Bobcats right out of the gates. Bryce Daniels would pick things right back up in the 2nd with a lead off triple to the right field wall and score on a Homage single through the middle to add another for the Bobcats.The Express would fight back in the bottom of the inning taking advantage of a defensive miscue and a pair of hit batsmen, with some timely hitting to plate two and cut the deficit in half 4-2. That would be the end of the day for Bobcat starter Tylor Wolfe as he would work 2 innings allowing 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 3. He would turn the game over to brother Brad Wolfe who would work the next 3.1 innings allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks while he struck out a pair. That run would come in the 4th inning after a lead off walk and a throwing error would put a runner on second with nobody out. A single through the left side would score the run shrinking the Bobcat lead to 4-3. The game would stay 4-3 until the Bobcats added a run in the top of the 6th with a little small ball. Daniels was walked to lead off the inning, moved over with a sac bunt by Jackson Homage, and then driven in by the Logan Wunderle line drive single to left. Wunderle would come around to score later in the inning making the Bobcat lead 6-3 going into the bottom of the 6th. Wolfe would retire the first Owens batter via strikeout, but a walk to the next would get him the hook and Jagger Jefferis would come out of the Bobcat pen in relief. The lefty from Barnesville, Oh would only need 7 pitches to strike out a pair of Owens hitters to send the game to the 7th. The Bobcat offense erupted in the top half of the inning plating 5 runs in the frame. The inning started with back to back doubles by Torrey Roper (his 5th hit of the day) and Dylan Cutler. A pass ball would score Roper from third and a Jackson Homage single would bring home Cutler. John Costella would deliver the knockout punch with another 2 run double to centerfield scoring Homage and Daniels. He would come home on a Riley Day single. Jefferis would work a clean 7th to secure the 11-3 victory for the Bobcats, he didn't allow a hit in his 1.2 innings out of the pen while striking out 2.
Game 1
The game would start with a Boyles linedrive single through the infield, followed by a Logan Wunderle deep flyout to center. The deep fly out would be a running theme for the Bobcat bats in this one as they had 11 hard hit balls and only 2 extra base hits to show for it as the stingy Express defense made play after play behind starting pitcher Shea Hendrixson. The Express would play from ahead with a 4 run first. The big inning would come on a double, a walk, a hit batsmen, and a pair of singles before Bobcat starter Adam Wibert was able to strike out two Owens hitters to get out of the inning. The Bobcats would push one across in the top of the 2nd on a Dylan Cutler line drive to right that scored Tylor Wolfe, and another in the 3rd on a Wolfe line drive to left that scored Costella cutting the Express lead to 4-2. The Express would get one back on a double and sac fly in the bottom of the inning, and a lead off homerun in the 5th to stretch the lead to 5-2. Wibert would turn the game over to Antonio Arroyo in the 6th after working the first 5 innings. The Express would add 2 runs in the 6th on a single and a Bobcat error, Arroyo would work out of the inning striking out two. The Bobcats would score two in the 7th, but it wasn't enough as the Express would win this one 8-4.
The Bobcats are back in action Sunday 4/11 on the road at Clark State where they will take on the Eagles in OCCAC play at 1 and 3. These games will be streamed on our youtube channel as well as broadcasted through Gem City Sports at the link below.