The College of the Ozarks Baseball Bobcats welcomed the Central Christian College Tigers from McPherson, Kansas to Coach Bob Smith Field over the weekend for a four game series.

On a beautiful Friday afternoon, the Bobcats were ready to get back to action after being interrupted by the recent winter weather. A wrap-up of each of the four games is below from C of O Sports Information:

College of the Ozarks vs Central Christian College – Game 1 (9 Innings)
Central Christian College - 6
College of the Ozarks - 5

With Rhett Hill toeing the rubber, Central Christian threatened to score early. After a leadoff walk, a deep fly ball was hit to center. Bobcat centerfielder Isaiah Smith tracked it down, but the ball landed on the turf after he collided with the wall and was ruled a hit. With runners at second and third, a line drive to Chuck Hill in right field put the Tigers in position to take the early lead. The runner tagged at third and a strike from Hill to the plate nailed him to prevent the score. Rhett Hill muscled up to strike out the next batter and the Bobcats worked out of the early jam. The Bobcats put a pair of runners aboard in the bottom of the first with a Chuck Hill hit by pitch and a Spencer Greene walk, but the big hit was elusive, and the game remained scoreless. Hill pitched around a two out walk in the second and it was the Bobcats turn to threaten. Cadan Kauffman ripped a one out single to left. Isaiah Smith then singled on a bunt down the third base line and Kauffman moved to third. An errant pickoff throw to first allowed Kauffman to score and the Bobcats took the early lead. That was all the Bobcats could get and the game moved to the third inning with the Bobcats up 1-0. Thanks to a diving play by Chuck Hill in right, an infield fly out and a strikeout, Rhett Hill recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third. The Bobcats wanted to keep the momentum going in the bottom of the third and started with back to back singles by Ryan Daggs and Caleb Johnson. Daggs was thrown out trying to advance to third on the left fielder’s bobble for the first out of the inning. The Bobcats couldn’t string more hits together and they were unable to add to the lead. The Tigers picked up some offense in the fourth with an error, a walk, and a single. With no outs and the bases loaded, Hill had some work to do to pitch out of the jam. A strikeout for the first out was followed by a fly ball to right and another runner thrown out at home by Chuck Hill. Rhett Hill and the Bobcats escaped another jam and went to the bottom of the fourth clinging to the 1-0 lead. After two quick outs in the bottom of the fourth, back to back singles by Isaiah Smith and Blake Hultgren produced another run and the Bobcats headed to the top of the fifth up 2-0. A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth was followed by a stolen base. A quick out set the stage and Chuck Hill did it again.  A flyball to right and the runner at second tagged.  Another rifle throw from Hill cut down the runner at third and the inning came to a close. The bottom of the fifth was capped by a Caleb Johnson blast over the left field fence and a 3-0 Bobcat lead. Spencer Greene and Rhett Hill singled following the homerun but that was all the offense for the inning. The Tigers found some offense in the top of the sixth scoring two runs on a pair of hits and a couple Bobcat miscues. Leading 3-2, the Bobcats needed to get the runs back. Isaiah Smith led off the sixth with a single and a Ryan Daggs single drove him in for an insurance run. The next batter was retired, and the stage was set.  The Bobcats and Rhett Hill needed three more outs to secure the win. A leadoff walk marked the end of the day for Rhett Hill and Devin McCullough came on to try and close out the game. A couple of flashy plays by Ryan Daggs at third retired the next two batters but an error extended the inning and put the Tigers within one of evening the score. A stolen base and an error later and the tying run was just 90 feet away. A single to left drove in the run and the score was knotted up, 4-4. McCullough muscled up for a strikeout to end the inning and the Bobcats needed a run in the bottom half to avoid extra innings. A lead-off walk to Spencer Greene started the offense in the seventh and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. A ground out to second moved Greene to third, where he stood with two outs. With the Bobcats just 90 feet away from the win, a flyout to center ended the inning and the game moved to extras. A lead-off walk brought in Ryan Daggs to pitch for the Bobcats. A double to right drove in the go-ahead run and the Bobcats still needed two more outs. Daggs retired the next two and the Bobcats had their backs to the wall. A strikeout started the inning but a Blake Hultgren single to right gave the Bobcats some hope. An error put runners at first and second and a strikeout followed. With two outs, a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third and a Caleb Johnson single tied the game. The next runner was thrown out trying to score and the game moved to the ninth inning tied 5-5. The Tigers picked up a run on an error and a single in the ninth and the Bobcats were backed into a corner again. A one out walk to Chandler Tidwell started the offense for the Bobcats and a wild pitch moved him to second. Tidwell moved to third on a fly ball to center and once again, the tying run was just 90 feet away. Unfortunately, a fly ball to center was the final out and the Bobcats fell in game one 6-5. 

Caleb Johnson led the offense with three hits and two rbi’s. Ryan Daggs, Isaiah Smith, and Blake Hultgren each added two hits and Spencer Greene, Rhett Hill, and Cadan Kauffman each tacked on a hit each. 

College of the Ozarks vs Central Christian College – Game 2
College of the Ozarks - 19
Central Christian College - 0

Tyler Buchanan took the hill for the Bobcats in game two and shut down the first two hitters in short order. A double gave the Tigers their first hit but a diving play by Chandler Tidwell ended the top of the first with no score. Chuck Hill led off with a double to center and Ryan Daggs put the Cats on top 2-0 with a shot over the left field fence. The next two Bobcats were retired and Cadan Kauffman kept the inning alive with a triple to right center. A wild pitch scored Kauffman and the lead was quickly 3-0. A Chandler Tidwell walk followed by a stolen base put another runner in scoring position, but a strikeout ended the inning. Buchanan turned in a 1-2-3 inning in the second and the Bobcats came up looking to add more runs. An error put Isaiah Smith on with no outs. One out later a Chuck Hill single drove in Smith for a 4-0 lead before the next two Bobcats were retired, and the game moved to the top of the third inning. A walk was all the Tigers could manage in the third and the Bobcats came up looking to add to their lead. A lead-off walk to Spencer Greene was followed by a Cadan Kauffman hit by pitch and a Chandler Tidwell bunt single. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Derek Skaggs brought in a run and Isaiah Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. A Blake Hultgren walk brought in another run and the lead was up to 6-0. An error on a double play ball scored another pair of runs to make it 8-0 Bobcats. A picked off runner ended the inning and the game moved to the fourth. Both teams went down in order in the fourth and the Bobcats used a double play to get out of the fifth unscathed. A leadoff homerun off the bat of Cadan Kauffman gave the Bobcats a 9-0 lead. Derek Skaggs and Isaiah Smith ripped one out singles, but a double play ended the inning and the game moved to the 6th.  A pair of hits and an error loaded the bases for the Tigers. A strikeout and a flyout ended the threat and the Bobcats came to the plate leading 9-0. Three straight walks to open the bottom of the sixth set the stage for a Trey Riley bases clearing double.  The Tiger pitchers continued to struggle to find the strike zone and the Bobcats added seven more runs and the game moved to the seventh inning with the Bobcats leading 19-0. Buchanan kept the Tiger bats quiet in the seventh and the Bobcats took the commanding win.

The Bobcats pounded out 11 hits in the win with Chuck Hill and Cadan Kauffman contributing two each. Daggs, Rhett Hill, Trey Riley, Chandler Tidwell, Derek Skaggs, Isaiah Smith, and Blake Hultgren each added one. Tyler Buchanan threw the complete game for the win on the mound giving up three hits and striking out four.

College of the Ozarks vs Central Christian College – Game 3
College of the Ozarks – 9
Central Christian College - 4

Coming off a big win in game two on Friday, the Bobcats sent Spencer Greene to the mound to try and continue the winning ways. The Tigers struck first in the opening frame with a single, an error and a sacrifice fly to take the 1-0 lead. The Bobcats wasted little time in getting even, putting the tying run on the board with a Ryan Daggs homerun in the bottom half of the first. The Tigers quickly responded in the second with back to back doubles and a sacrifice fly. Heading to the bottom of the second the Bobcats trailed 3-1. The Bobcats needed to respond, and it didn’t take long to do so. Cadan Kauffman led off the second with a blast over the left field wall. Derek Skaggs followed with a single and Chandler Tidwell was hit by a pitch. A two out Chuck Hill single tied the game and Ryan Daggs followed with a single. A perfectly executed double steal brought in Hill and the Bobcats led 5-3 heading to the third. Greene headed back to the hill and needed to close the door on the Tiger offense. Pitching around a leadoff hit, Greene held his ground, and the Bobcat lead. The Bobcats continued to apply pressure in the third when Cadan Kauffman reached on an error. Chandler Tidwell walked and both runners advanced on a Tiger error. Isaiah Smith hit an RBI infield single and the Bobcats took a 7-3 lead into the fourth. An Allen Gutierrez leadoff homer cut the gap to 7-4 and Greene needed to take a deep breath and regroup. A ground out and two strikeouts later, the Bobcats held the three-run lead and came up looking to add more. A Ryan Daggs double and a hit by pitch were left stranded and the game moved to the fifth. Greene recorded a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth and an Isaiah Smith single was all the Bobcats could get in their half. A Tiger single was erased by the runner being thrown out trying to steal second and the pitchers had settled in. The Bobcats got things going again in the sixth with a Ryan Daggs leadoff single and a Caleb Johnson RBI triple for some insurance. A Spencer Greene single drove in another run and the Bobcats led 9-4. Greene pitched around a leadoff hit in the seventh and secured the complete game win for the Bobcats.

The Bobcats were led by Ryan Daggs four for four game with two runs scored and two RBI’s, including a homerun. Caleb Johnson added two hits along with Isaiah Smith. Chuck Hill, Spencer Greene, Caden Kauffman (HR) and Derek Skaggs each added a hit in the win. Spencer Greene pitched the complete game for the win allowing four runs on seven hits and striking out seven. 

College of the Ozarks vs Central Christian College – Game 4
College of the Ozarks – 15
Central Christian College - 4

Riley Loyd was on the bump for the Bobcats in the final game of the series. The Tigers jumped on the board early with a solo homerun off the bat of Koki Matsuda. Loyd pitched around another single and the Bobcats came up trailing 1-0. A Caleb Johnson hit by pitch was all the Bobcats could muster in the bottom of the inning and the game moved to the second. Loyd made quick work of the Tigers in the second and the Bobcats came to bat looking to get the offense going. A Cadan Kauffman single was erased when he was thrown out stealing second, but Trey Riley stepped up and doubled down the right field line. Isaiah Smith drove in Riley with an RBI single. Blake Hultgren followed with a single and Chuck Hill walked to load the bases. A fly ball ended the inning and the Bobcats had to settle for the lone run to tie the score at 1-1. The Bobcats flashed the leather in the top of the third to keep the Tigers offense in check and came up in the bottom half looking to break the tie. A one out single off the bat of Spencer Greene was followed by a ground out that moved him to second. A pop out ended the inning and the score remained 1-1, headed to the fourth. A leadoff homerun by the Tigers put them back on top, 2-1, but Loyd retired the next three hitters to end the inning. Chandler Tidwell led off the Bobcat fourth with a hit by pitch and Isaiah Smith bunted him to second. Just like Coach Richardson drew it up, Blake Hultgren followed with an RBI single up the middle to tie the score 2-2. The Bobcats then unloaded with a Chuck Hill walk, back to back singles be Ryan Daggs and Caleb Johnson, and a bases clearing double by Spencer Greene. Caden Kauffman followed with a single and Trey Riley drove in another run with a single of his own. The final out of the inning was recorded and when the dust settled, the Bobcat lead was up to 7-2. Loyd shut the Tigers down in the fifth and the Bobcats came up looking to add to their lead. A Chuck Hill single was followed by a walk to Ryan Daggs to start the inning.  Caleb Johnson promptly singled to drive in Hill and Daggs and the lead was 9-2. Johnson moved to third on a stolen base and an error and Spencer Greene drew a one out walk. A Cadan Kaffman double drove in Johnson and Greene scored on a wild pitch. Trey Riley picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly to score Kauffman. A fly ball ended the inning and the Bobcat lead was up to 12-2 headed to the sixth. Riley Loyd continued to stifle the Tiger hitters and kept their bats silenced in the top of the sixth. A two-run blast by Ryan Daggs followed by a solo shot by Caleb Johnson tacked on three more runs and the Tigers were anxious to get out of town. The final out was recorded in the sixth and Riley Loyd went back to the hill to try and secure the complete game win. A leadoff walk ended a very solid outing for Riley Loyd and Colin Pyatt came on to secure the final three outs. The Tigers picked up a pair of runs but a Pyatt strikeout secured the final out and the Bobcat win 15-4.

Multiple hits was the name of the game in the finale. Caleb Johnson (HR) and Cadan Kauffman led the way with three hits each for the Bobcats. Chuck Hill, Ryan Daggs (HR), Spencer Greene, Trey Riley, and Blake Hultgren each added two hits each and Isaiah Smith contributed one hit. Riley Loyd pitched six innings giving up three runs on three hits, striking out five to earn the win.

The Bobcats will be back in action Friday and Saturday as they travel to Arlington Texas for a four game series at Arlington Baptist University.