For five innings Friday everything looked to be in hand for the Perry baseball team.
The Bluejays held a 4-2 lead at Progressive Field and had managed to hold stay in control despite being guilty of five errors. And then, suddenly, it all fell apart.
Perry’s defense committed six miscues in the final two innings, allowing visiting Ogden (6-2) to score seven times in the top of the sixth and eight more times in the seventh to surge into a 17-4 lead. Perry (0-7) tacked on a run in their final at-bat to create the final score.
Bluejay senior Avery Meister deserved a better fate on the hill. He threw the first 5-2/3 innings, allowing nine hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out five. Meister had worked out of trouble several times, but could not consistently fight off additional outs granted to the Bulldogs.
He was relieved by Kato Dougan, who yielded six hits and four walks in 1-1/3 frames of work. Dougan yielded eight runs (four earned) after Meister had been touched for nine runs (four earned).
Dougan walked and Keghan West singled to start the first inning for Perry, with Meister and Fausto Beato each producing a RBI-single to give the Jays a 2-0 lead.
Single tallies in the second and again in the third allowed the guests to tie the score, but Beato came through with a two-run double in the fifth to score Dougan and Meister and give the home team a 4-2 lead.
West and Meister had two hits apiece, with West being hit by a pitch and scoring twice while Meister scored once and drove home one run. Dougan was walked twice and hit once, scoring twice, with Gavin Hegstrom adding a RBI-single.
Beato had a single, a double, and a walk. He was also hit by a pitch and drove in three runs, with Caden Steva adding two singles while Drake Levan was walked once and Rylee Ray plunked by a pitch.
Lead-off hitter Kolby Moorman was 5-for-5 with a walk for Ogden. He had three singles and two doubles, scored twice and drove in three runs.
Dylan Perdue had three hits, Aiden Kathman a single and a double and Kaden Moorman a triple, walk and a hit by pitch.
James Fraetis started and went four innings, allowing two runs on six hits while walking three, hitting one and striking out one. Kathman won in three innings of relief. He surrendered three runs on three hits, walked one batter and hit three, and recorded one strikeout.
Perry honored their seniors before the game, with Dougan, Meister and West presented to the crowd, as were team managers Odaly Perla and Giselle Ruiz.
The Bluejays host Carlisle Monday, visit Bondurant-Farrar Wednesday and entertain Ballard Thursday.
