Bearcat Bats Unable to Keep Up with Cougars
 
The Bearcats bats were hot during both games, but unfortunately it was not enough as the University of Sioux Falls Cougars blasted out 31 hits of their own. The Bearcats fell 13-8 in game one and 9-7 in game two.
 
In game one, the Bearcats fell behind 5-0 after the top of the first and tried to battle their way back through the rest of the game. In the bottom of the first, junior Colby Sneed led off with a double to deep left and senior Rhys Cratty followed with a homerun to left to bring it to 5-2. The Cougars got the two runs back in the top of the 2^nd, while the Bearcats plated one in the bottom of the 2^nd when Joe Wade eventually scored off a balk.
 
Just like the 2^nd inning, the Cougars came back in the top of the 3^rd to score one run on two hits. The Bearcats turned around and plated one run in the bottom of the 3^rd. Sophomore Eli Smock doubled and scored off a single by Junior transfer Brock Wilken. The Bearcats were down 8-4 after the 3^rd.
 
Starter Logan Sorrell pitched 4.2 innings for the Bearcats and gave up seven earned runs on 12 hits. The 5^th inning saw two more runs from both the Cougars and Bearcats. Wilken singled again with 2 outs in the 5^th. The single was followed by walks from sophomore Brennan Espy and Wade. Sophomore Brooks Espy got his first hit of the season as he singled, scoring Wilken and Bre. Espy.
 
Both teams exchanged one run in the 6^th inning as Senior Corbin Reese gave up a leadoff homerun to the Cougars. For the Bearcats, Cratty recorded the RBI as he hit a sacrifice fly to score Sneed. This brought the score to 11-7 Cougars.
 
Freshman Jake Whittle recorded his first RBI as he singled up the middle to score Bre Espy in the 7^th to bring the Bearcats within three. It was not enough as the Cougars plated two more runs in the 8^th and brought the final score to 13-8 Cougars.
 
Highlights of game one:
Eli Smock: 3-5 with 3 doubles
Rhys Cratty and Brooks Espy gathered 2 RBIs each
Freshmen Jake Whittle and Dean Hagenhoff each recorded their first career RBIs.
 
Game 2 Recap
 
The Bearcats had to play catch up again as the Cougars scored three runs in the first and one run in the second to take 4-0 lead. In the bottom of the 3^rd, Cratty singled up the middle, Smock reached on an error, and Hagenhoff singled to score Cratty. After a walk by Wilken, Brennan Espy hit a grand slam and the Bearcats took their first lead of the night, 5-4.
The lead was short lived as USF hit a grand slam of its own in the top of the 4^th and punched in an additional run as well to make it 9-5.
 
The Bearcats fought to the end as they plated two in the bottom of the 7^th, but ultimately fell 9-7.
 
Game 2 Highlights
Rhys Cratty went 2-3 with a walk
Brennan Espy went 2-3 with 4 RBIs
Joe Wade went 3-4
Jake Whittle went 2-3

Coach Chris Martin had this to say about the Bearcats opening day, "I thought our guys played really hard and never gave up. Both games we got off to slow starts but hung in there and competed until the end. We had some really good individual performances. I thought Brennan Espy was our best player-he made a ton of great plays in RF and had a big day at the plate. We will keep growing and working to get better."
 
The Bearcats and Cougars face off again for another double header on Monday, February 21. First pitch will take place at noon at Dodson Field.