Home runs from Alexis Garrido and Kaleb Olejniczak and steady pitching from Keghan West carried Perry to a 7-4 win over Gilbert in non-conference baseball at Progressive Field Tuesday.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
West went the distance off the rubber, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk. He finished with five strikeouts.
Gilbert (8-5) had a 1-0 lead when Kyle Lockwood walked in the bottom of the third for Perry (4-5). He trotted home when Olejniczak swatted his second home run of the season to put the Bluejays in front, 2-1.
The Tigers tied the game with a tally in the fifth, but the Jays responded with a three-run baottom half of the frame.
West drew a one-out walk, with Lockwood hit by a pitch. One out later, senior Garrido parked a three-run blast for a 5-2 Perry lead. The four-bagger was the first of Garrido’s career.
Gilbert kept nibbling, scoring once in the sixth, but RBI-singles from Aaron Lockwood and Kato Dougan pushed Perry’s margin to 7-3. A final Tiger run in the seventh was not enough to extend the game as Perry won for the first time in four non-conference contests.
Matt Barragy went five innings on the bump for the guests, yielding five runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out two and was relieved by Hudson Bellon, who surrendered two runs on two hits in one frame.
Nathan Chasey and Garrison Holck led the Tiger offense with a double apiece.
Perry hosts ADM tonight before visiting Saydel Thursday as part of four consecutive road games, with the Jays not returning home (after tonight) until a June 25 meeting with Carlisle.
