GREENFIELD — The Perry baseball team lifted their overall record to 4-5 with two victories at the Nodaway Valley Tournament Saturday.
Perry opened with a 13-0 blanking of Iowa Christian Academy that was called after five innings. The Bluejays then used a 5-3 score to prevail over the host Wolverines in the title game. Nodaway Valley was a 13-5 winner over Orient-Macksburg in the other semifinal; no report has been received from the consolation contest.
Kaleb Olejniczak and Austin Carpenter combined to stifle the ICA offense in Perry’s first game. Olejniczak went three innings, allowing one hit and a walk while striking out two with Carpenter yielding one hit and fanning three in two frames of relief.
Kade VanKirk was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, with Janier Puente driving in three runs on a single and a double while Carpenter added a double of his own. Perry also received a strong game from Brandon Kenyon, who was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs while scoring twice, with Olejniczak finishing 2-for-3 with a triple and a RBI while crossing the plate three times.
Perry scored once in each of the first two innings and twice in the top of the third to open a 4-0 lead against Nodaway Valley only to see the hosts score three times in the bottom of the third to slice their deficit to one run.
The Bluejays had a runner on second with two outs in the top of the seventh when the Wolverines opted to pitch to Puente, who was 3-for-3 at that point. The junior promptly slammed a double off the wall to plate an insurance run for the Jays.
Puente had two doubles and two singles in the game while driving in three runs and stealing two bases. His 6-for-7 Saturday lifted his season average to .516, and his 16 total hits are double the next player on the team. Puente now has 12 RBIs and his six doubles are tied for second in Class 3A.
Kyle Nevitt was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored in the title game, with Olejniczak, Alex Long, Adan Medina and Alexis Garrido adding base hits.
Garrido weathered the three-run third to win in seven innings. He surrendered seven hits and a walk and finished with six strikeouts.
Corbin Bond went the distance for the hosts, yielding five runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out one.
Joe Herr was 3-for-4 for the Wolverines, with Jackson Lamb 2-for-3.
Perry visits Carlisle tonight before hosting Greene County Tuesday and Bondurant-Farrar Wednesday.
Did you like this story? Please support our daily coverage of local news and sports with a one-time donation or a recurring donation of $5 per month.
