The College of the Ozarks Baseball Bobcats boarded the bus and headed to Bethany, Oklahoma for a weekend tri-match at Southwestern Christian University. The Bobcats were slated to face SCU on Friday at 10:30 and Bacone College at 1:00. The same schedule would be repeated on Saturday.

C of O vs Southwestern Christian University – Friday, February 17
The Bobcats opened the tri-match facing the host Eagles of Southwestern Christian University. The Bobcats posed a slight threat in the first inning with a walk and stolen base by Caleb Johnson, but the key hit was not to be found. Rhett Hill went to the mound for the Bobcats and SCU put the first run on the board with a single, a pair of walks, and a sacrifice fly. The Eagles added runs in the second, two in the third, and another in the fourth and the Bobcat offense had work to do. Spencer Greene singled in the second but was erased by a double play, and the Bobcats struggled to get the offense going until the fourth. With singles by Ryan Daggs, Trey Riley, and an RBI single off the bat of Andrew Hert, the Bobcats pushed two runs across and cut the deficit to, 4-2. The Eagles fifth run crossed in the bottom half and the Bobcats were running out of time.  The Bobcat offense remained silent, but pitchers Weston Whiteside, Joe Lee, Devin McCullough, and Kole Jenks combined with Hill to keep the Eagle offense to a minimum. The Bobcats made it interesting in the seventh with a trio of walks to Andrew Hert, Titus Atkins, and Blake Hultgren. A fielder’s choice, off the bat of Chuck Hill, cut the gap to 5-3, but the Bobcats were unable to get the big hit to extend the game. SCU took the contest 5-3.

Ryan Daggs, Trey Riley, Spencer Greene, Andrew Hert, and Blake Hultgren recorded hits in the Bobcat offensive effort.

C of O vs Bacone College – Friday, February 17
The next opponent was the Warriors of Bacone College. The bats came to life early and often in the second game and provided plenty of run support for starting pitcher Tyler Buchanan. The Bobcats scored three runs in the first inning off a Ryan Daggs double and stolen base, a Spencer Greene RBI single, a Trey Riley single, and a two-RBI single off the bat of Rhett Hill. Buchanan cruised through the Bacone lineup, and the Bobcats erupted for eight runs in the second. An error allowed Blake Hultgren to reach, and the flood gate opened. Chuck Hill singled, and Caleb Johnson drove in Hultgren with a double. A wild pitch scored Hill before Ryan Daggs singled to score Seth Stamps (courtesy runner for Johnson). Greene singled and Riley recorded an RBI with a single of his own. The line kept moving with a Rhett Hill single and an RBI double off the bat of Andrew Hert. A pair of passed balls allowed runners to move up and by the time the third out was recorded, the Bobcats held an 11-0 lead. A single Bobcat run scored off an error, fielder’s choice and a Trey Riley RBI single followed in the next inning. Bacone picked up some offense in the fourth inning and scored a pair of runs to make it 12-2. The Bobcats continued their assault in the bottom of the fourth with Landon Jines reaching on a hit by pitch and stealing second. Zane Kelley ripped an RBI single to left and Chuck Hill singled. Kelley scored on an error and Hill moved to second. Another error allowed Johnson to reach and Ryan Daggs added an RBI with a single. Four runs crossed in the inning and the Bobcat lead grew to 16-2. Buchanan settled back into the groove in the fifth and kept the Bacone bats quiet. A single Bobcat run scored in the fifth with a Hunter Lewis single, a wild pitch, and a Zane Kelley RBI single to center. Buchanan provided more of the same in the sixth and the Bobcats added one more run in the bottom half. A Keegan Stone walk resulted in the lone run when Colby Teaster singled, Logan Daniels singled, and Hunter Lewis pushed the run across with a ground out to the right side. Jake Davis pitched the seventh for the Bobcats and shut down the Warriors with a strike out and a pair of ground outs.

The Bobcats pounded out 19 hits in the win with Daggs (2B) and Riley recording three each. Rhett Hill, Chuck Hill, Spencer Greene, and Zane Kelley each logged two hits, and Johnson (2B), Teaster, Daniels, Lewis, and Hert (2B) added one hit each.

C of O vs Southwestern Christian University – Saturday, February 18
Day two featured an identical schedule as the day before. Looking to avenge the Friday loss to SCU, the Bobcats sent Colin Pyatt to the hill. The Bobcat bats were quiet in the opening innings with only a Spencer Green single in the first making some noise. The Eagles, however, scored two runs in their half of the first to take the lead. Pyatt settled in for a three-up, three-down second inning and the Bobcats manufactured a run in the top of the third. A Chuck Hill single led things off and a sacrifice by Blake Hultgren, a balk, and a wild pitch cut the Eagle lead in half, 2-1. The Eagles answered with a run in the bottom of the third and the rest of the game produced very little offense. A Ryan Daggs double in the sixth was the only other offense for the Bobcats and Pyatt went the distance on the mound, holding the Eagles to only three runs. SCU took the game 3-1.

Three Bobcat hits came off the bats of Ryan Daggs (2B), Spencer Greene, and Chuck Hill.

C of O vs Bacone College – Saturday, February 18
Looking to earn the split for the weekend tri-match, the Bobcats were set to take on the Bacone College Warriors in the finale. The Bobcats sent freshman pitcher Brody Bauman to the mound for his first pitching start as a Bobcat. The opening inning was quiet, with only a Spencer Greene single showing offensive life for either team. The Bobcats exploded for six runs in the second with a pair of walks to Titus Atkins and Colby Teaster. A wild pitch and a pair of past balls scored both runners and the Bobcats led 2-0. Blake Hultgren and Caleb Johnson walked and both moved up on an error, with Hultgren crossing the plate. Ryan Daggs added to his RBI total with a single and Spencer Greene drew a walk. Trey Riley drove in Daggs and Greene with a single before the final out could be recorded, and the Bobcat lead was 6-0. Baumman cruised through the Warrior lineup in the second and the Bobcats went down quietly in the third. Baumann struck out the side in the bottom of the third and the Bobcat bats came to life again in the fourth. Hultgren singled and moved to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch. Caleb Johnson drove him in with a ground out to short and Daggs was hit by a pitch. Spencer Greene singled and a ground out moved the runners to second and third. Both runners scored on an error and a passed ball before Andrew Hert started the offense again with a walk. A stolen base and an error scored Hert and Titus Atkins advanced to third on walks to Colby Teater and Chuck Hill. Hultgren walked for an easy RBI and another Warrior miscue scored two more Bobcat runs. Daggs was hit by a pitch but the third out was recorded and the game moved to the bottom of the fourth, 13-0 Bobcats. The rest of the game was dominated by the young Bobcat hurler. Outside of a walk in the first and an error in the fifth, Baumann was perfect, and the Warriors sent just two over the minimum to the plate. Baumann finished off the no-hitter allowing only two base runners and striking out eight along the way. Making memories, the young right-hander threw a no-hitter in his first college start as a Bobcat and brought the Bobcats home with a 13-0 win and a 2-2 weekend record.
Spencer Greene and Trey Riley recorded a pair of hits each for the Bobcats, and Ryan Daggs, Zane Kelley, Aaron Fisher, and Blake Hultgren each tacked on a hit in the support of Baumann.

The Bobcats are back in action this Friday and Saturday as they host York University at Coach Bob Smith Field. Game times are 1:00 and 3:00 both days