Bobcats Return From Florida with 3 Wins

The reigning OCCAC Champion Bobcats started their 2022 season this past week in Florida going 3-4 in their first 7 games. Many new faces on the Bobcat roster played well as Freshman Ryan Horstman led the team with 7 hits on the trip including 2 doubles, a triple, 10 walks, and 4 stolen bases, while Domonic Prevesk recorded 7 hits including 4 triples and a homerun. On the mound Tyler Schlick shined allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits while striking out 10 in his 6 innings of work. 

Day 1 was a great test for the Bobcats as they took on #8 in the country Century College to kick off their season. They would take the lead early after a pair of walks to Horstman and Costella would come around to score on a throwing error to give them their first lead of the season 2-0. Tyler Schlick looked dominant in his first appearance as a Bobcat tossing 5 innings surrendering 1 run on 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 7. Schlick would leave the game going into the bottom of the 6th with his team leading 3-1. The Century bats however, would take advantage of the Bobcat pen and plate 4 in the inning to take the lead and ultimately the game by a final score of 8-4. 

The Bobcat bats would wake up on day 2 as they earned their first win of the 2022 season defeating Glen Oaks 16-4. Sophomore Logan Wunderle carried the big bat as he would finish the game 2 for 4 with a double, a homerun, and 6 RBIs. Ryan Horstman also finished with 2 hits on the day and scored 3 times. Aaron Miranda and Riley Day would go deep as well as the Bobcats finished with 3 homeruns on the day. Sophomore transfer Nick Feasel would get the ball for the Bobcats, surrendering 1 earned run on 2 hits while striking out 4 in his 4+ innings of work. He would turn the ball over to CJ Kross and Connor Lovejoy coming out of the Bobcats bullpen to finish the game. 

The Bobcats would win 2 more on day 3 by defeating Macomb college 3-2 and Vermillion College 14-3. Game 1 Vs Macomb was a good old fashioned pitcher's duel as Bobcat starter Noah Brite and Macomb starter Bryan Masterson would both put up zeros in the first two frames of the game. The Monarchs would get on the board in the third after a lead off walk would come home to score on a two out single. The Bobcats would answer right back in the top of the 4th as a Rontrell Greer double followed by a Dom Prevesk triple and a Matt Blanchard single would give them a 2-1 lead. Another Prevesk triple would set up a Jackson Homage sacrifice fly in the top of the 6th to give the Bobcats a 3-1 lead. Brite would run into some trouble in the bottom of the 6th and turn the ball over to Austen Price out of the Bobcat pen. Price would work out of the 2 runners on 1 out jam allowing 1 run on a sacrifice fly to keep the lead at 3-2 in the Bobcats favor. Price would stay on for the 7th and throw a clean frame with 2 strikeouts to secure the low scoring victory for the Bobcats. The B&SC bats would wake up for game 2 as they would record 14 runs on 10 hits to defeat Vermilion Community College 14-3. Drew Firchau led the way for the Bobcats as he finished the game 3 for 4 with a double, a homerun, and 2 RBI's to go along with 2 runs scored. Hudson Cornett would get the ball throwing 4+ innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits while striking out 4. He would turn the ball over to Sophomore Craig Wilson in the 5th inning who would work around a single to finish out the 5 inning run rule game. 

The Bobcats would play Lincoln Land College day 4 in what would be another back and forth 1 run contest decided late. The Bobcats would tie the game up on 4 different occasions after Lincoln Land took the lead, but ultimately came up short falling to the Loggers 9-8.  Jagger Jefferis got the start for the Bobcats, surrendering 2 earned runs on 3 hits while striking out 8 in his 3 innings of work. The combination of  Kade Compeau, Jacob Shaw, Domonic Prevesk, Tylor Wolfe, and Tyler Schlick would throw the final 6 innings surrendering 7 earned runs while striking out 11. Horstman, Prevesk, and Matt Blanchard would all have 2 hits on the day. Prevesk hit his fourth triple of the week, drove in a run, and scored twice, while Horstman hit a double and drove in 3 runs. 

Day 5 would be a frustrating day for the Bobcats as they would drop a game to Triton Community College 9-0 and then get rained out halfway through game two tied 3-3. The Bobcat bats were stymied by Triton starter Peyton Olejnik who would surrender just 2 hits while striking out 7 Bobcats across his 4 innings of work before turning the ball over to the lefty Tommy Klco. The Bobcats didn't fare any better against Klco as he worked the final 3 scoreless innings striking out 3 and not allowing a hit.  Matt Blanchard made his first start as a Bobcat surrendering 5 runs, 2 earned, on 6 hits while striking out 4 in his 4 innings on the mound. A combination of Connor Lovejoy, Craig Wilson, and Loudan Braun would finish the game for the Bobcats. The Bobcats would open the first inning of game 2 with 3 runs before the game was called for rain. 

The Bobcats played Jackson Community College on the final day of their trip dropping the match up by a final score of 14-3. Domonic Prevesk finished 1-3 with a homerun to lead the Bobcat offense. Shawn Barber made his first start working the first 1.2 innings surrendering 7 runs on 4 hits. Shaw, Kross, Cornett and Cayden Moore would work the rest of the game out of the pen for the Bobcats. 

The Bobcats travel home and will start OCCAC play this weekend as they take on Terra State Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th.