Kansas City, MO - The College of the Ozarks Baseball Bobcats returned to the field where they made their 2023 Final Four appearance and took on Kansas Christian College over the weekend. In a visit they hope to repeat in May, the Bobcats took three of the four games against the Falcons and climbed back to the .500 mark.

C of O vs Kansas Christian College – Game 1 – Friday, March 22
The Bobcats got off to a rough start in the opener when the Falcons scored a trio of runs in the opening frame. The Bobcats picked up a run of their own in the top of the second with a Caleb Johnson walk. A single off the bat of Jake Leeker, and walks to Charlie Parker and Trey Riley pushed Johnson across to get the Cats on the board. Rhett Hill pitched around a walk in the bottom of the second to keep the Falcons off the base paths and the game moved to the third with the Bobcats trailing 3-1. A Rhett Hill single was all the offense for the Bobcats in the top of the third and KCC picked up a couple more tallies in the bottom half to add to their lead. The Bobcats went down in order in the fourth and the bats remained silent. A trio of singles added another pair of runs for the home team and the Bobcats trailed 7-1. With the Bobcats running out of opportunities, Ty Rush, Rhett Hill, and Spencer Greene stepped up to the challenge and all singled to load the bases. Hunter Lewis delivered an RBI single, and the gap was cut to 7-2. Caleb Johnson followed with an RBI single of his own before the final out was recorded and the game moved to the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Dalton and Tyler Buchanan finished the game on the mound for the Bobcats and they kept the Falcons in check. Unfortunately, the Bobcat offense was limited to singles by Ty Rush and Chuck Hill in the sixth and a Hunter Lewis hit by pitch in the seventh. They were unable to push more runs across and the Falcons took game one 7-3.

Ty Rush and Rhett Hill led the offense with a pair of hits each and Chuck Hill, Spencer Greene, Hunter Lewis, Caleb Johnson, and Jake Leeker each added a hit in the loss.

C of O vs Kansas Christian College – Game 2– Friday, March 22
Looking to get back in the win column and even the series, the Bobcats needed to bounce back in game two. Wasting no time to get things started, Ty Rush singled and Spencer Greene followed with a single of his own. A double steal moved runners to second and third and Rhett Hill walked to load the bases. A Hunter Lewis sacrifice fly scored Rush and the Bobcats took a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the first. Brody Baumann took the mound for the Bobcats and a single, a sacrifice, and a Bobcat miscue allowed the Falcons to get the run back and tie the score. A Trey Riley single was all the Bobcat offense in the second, and Baumann pitched around a single in the bottom half to keep the score tied. Chuck Hill and Ty Rush started the offense in the third with a pair of singles, and a Falcon balk moved the runners up. Hill scored on a fly ball and Rhett Hill picked up an RBI to drive in Rush on a ground out to put the Bobcats back on top 3-1. Answering the challenge, the Falcons picked up a run in the bottom of the third before Baumann slammed the door shut and sent the game to the fourth. The Bobcat bats were silenced in the fourth and Baumann pitched around a pair of singles in the bottom half to preserve the lead. Ty Rush singled in the fifth and a Spencer Greene walk was paired with a Hunter Lewis single in the sixth, but the Bobcats were unable to push any runners across. Baumann pitched around a single in the sixth and the Bobcats were clinging to a 3-2 lead moving to the seventh. Looking to add some insurance, Jake Leeker led off with a single. Zane Kelley drew a walk, but the Bobcats came up empty and it would be up to Baumann and the defense. Three quick outs sealed the complete game win for Baumann and the Bobcats evened the series at one game apiece.

Ty Rush powered the offense with three hits and Chuck Hill, Spencer Greene, Hunter Lewis, Trey Riley, and Jake Leeker each added a hit in the win.

C of O vs Kansas Christian College – Game 3 – Saturday, March 23
With a close win under their belts, the Bobcats were waiting for the bats to erupt in game three. The top of the first inning was just as good a time as any and Ty Rush ripped the first extra-base hit of the series with a double to left. Spencer Greene singled but Rush was thrown out trying to score. Rhett Hill kept the offense alive with a single and Hunter Lewis ripped an RBI single to center to give the Bobcats the early lead. Spencer Greene took the mound for the Bobcats and pitched around a leadoff single to keep the Bobcats on top. Trey Riley tripled to lead off the second and Jake Leeker drove in the second run with a single. That was all the Cats could get and the game moved to the bottom of the second with the Bobcats leading 2-0. Another quick inning for Greene and the defense brought the Bobcats back to the plate and they were hungry for more runs. Chuck Hill led off the third with a single and Ty Rush followed with a walk. Greene picked up an RBI with a single and Hunter Lewis kept the line moving with a single of his own. Trey Riley then added to his RBI total with a sacrifice fly and Jake Leeker singled to load the bases. A Charlie Parker RBI single scored Rhett Hill and the Bobcats took a 5-0 lead to the bottom of the third. Greene continued to cruise on the mound and limited the Falcons to a single in the bottom of the inning. The fourth was quiet for both teams and the game moved to the fifth. Trey Riley ripped a one out single to start the offense and a Jake Leeker double added a run to the board. Caleb Johnson walked, and the Bobcats were threatening with runners on second and third. A Chuck Hill single added another pair of runs and the Bobcats were in control with an 8-0 lead. The Falcons were limited to a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch over the next two innings and the Bobcats were silenced through the top of the seventh. Three outs away from the win, Greene was looking to secure the complete game shutout. A Falcon double, a single and a walk loaded the bases and a single drove in a pair of runs to extend the game. A double play was just what the doctor ordered however, and the Bobcats sealed the 8-2 complete game win for Greene.

The Bobcat bats exploded for 14 hits including three by Jake Leeker (2B), and two each by Chuck Hill, Spencer Greene, Hunter Lewis, and Trey Riley (3B). Ty Rush (2B), Rhett Hill, and Charlie Parker each added a hit to the cause.

C of O vs Kansas Christian College – Game 4 – Saturday, March 23
The Bobcats were now looking to secure the series win and the Falcons were working for the split. Weston Whiteside assumed the pitching duties in game four and the Bobcats wanted to keep the bats hot. Picking up where they left off in game three, singles by Ty Rush, Rhett Hill and Hunter Lewis loaded the bases. Trey Riley delivered the big hit and drove in a pair of runs to give the Cats the 2-0 lead. Whiteside took care of business through the first three innings scattering a trio of hits. The Bobcats used a Charlie Parker double, a Caleb Johnson sacrifice fly, a Chuck Hill double, and a Ty Rush single to add another pair of runs and take a 4-0 lead. With the Bobcats going down in order in the third, the game moved to the fourth. Caleb Johnson legged out a one out triple to start the offense and Ty Rush picked up an RBI with a single to center. That was all the Bobcats would get and a 5-0 lead took the game to the bottom of the fourth. A walk, a double, and a single, put a pair of Falcon runs on the board before Whiteside closed the door. The Bobcat bats were silent in the fifth and Whiteside limited the home team to a single in the bottom half. A Jake Leeker single was left stranded in the top of the sixth and the Falcons were running out of time. A single and a walk gave the Falcons some energy and a sacrifice fly and a double added a pair of runs to make things interesting. Tyler Buchanan came on in relief and the “Buck” stops here rang true with a quick pop up to end the inning. The Bobcats were unable to add any insurance in the top of the seventh and tension mounted with a one-run lead hanging in the balance. Buchanan eliminated the tension in a hurry with a quick three outs to secure the 5-4 Bobcat win.

Ty Rush led the offense with three hits and Chuck Hill (2B), Rhett Hill, Hunter Lewis, Trey Riley, Jake Leeker, Charlie Parker (2B), and Caleb Johnson (3B) each added a hit in the win.

The Bobcats return to action Wednesday, March 27 when they travel to Springdale, AR to face the Royals of Ecclesia College.