Carlisle needed just two batters to step to the plate Monday to due all the damage that would prove necessary in what became a 5-1 win over Perry in Raccoon River Conference baseball at Progressive Field.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
Dylan Berg led off the game with a single and stole second base, trotting home from there were the next batter, Nic McCay, crunched a two-run home run.
The Bluejays answered with a run in the bottom of the second to create a 2-1 score. The scoreboard would remain unchanged until the seventh, as both teams would finish the contest missing opportunities and leaving eight men apiece on base.
The Wildcats eventually broke through in the top of the seventh, with a walk, a double and three singles — in order — helping plate three runs to set the final score.
Carlisle was playing in their 26th game, and improved to 21-5 overall and 9-1 in RRC play, four games clear of Perry, Winterset (who lost, 4-1, to ADM Monday) and Ballard, an 8-1 winner over Bondurant-Farrar Monday. The Bombers are technically a half-game ahead in second place, having only three losses to date. Perry, playing in just their 13th game, fell to 6-7 overall and 5-4 in league action.
Perry’s run came when Aaron Lockwood reached on an infield hit. He moved to second when Justin Stammer reached on an error, then moved to third on a Kato Dougan sacrifice bunt. Lockwood scored on a passed ball, with a walk to Kyle Lockwood putting runners on the corners with one out, but Isaiah Henrichs induced two bouncers back to the mound to dodge further damage.
Henrichs completely handcuffed Perry batters, yielding only the Aaron Lockwood infield single and a Gavin Boyer base hit. He walked five batters and finished with 10 strikeouts.
McCay added a single and a walk to his home run while scoring twice, with Berg having a single and a double to lead the Carlisle attack.
Keghan West tossed 6-2/3 innings and was stingy until the seventh when the Wildcat offense suddenly awoke. He issued five walks and hit one batter with a pitch while yielding five runs (four earned) on eight hits.
Aaron Lockwood induced a fly out against the only batter in faced in a short relief stint.
Perry is at Bondurant-Farrar for a varsity doubleheader Wednesday before returning home to face Ballard Thursday.
