Decisions, decisions.
A pair of self-inflicted base-running mistakes, combined with two critical and controversial judgment calls, doomed Perry Thursday to an 8-6 loss against visiting Ogden in non-conference baseball.
The teams were locked in a 6-all deadlock entering the ninth when a single, followed two outs later by a double and then another single, plated two runs to put Ogden (18-12) in front, 8-6.
Perry (0-20) refused to yield. Consecutive base hits had Kaleb Olejniczak on second base and Kato Dougan on first. The Bluejays attempted a double-steal, with Olejniczak called out at third as the Perry faithful howled in protest on the decision.
Keghan West drew a walk to put runners on first and second, but Carter Church recorded his fifth strikeout in 2-1/3 frames of relief to end the game.
Ogden led, 4-0, when Perry plated a run in the bottom of the third. Quinn Helmers walked and scored when Olejniczak singled to account for the tally.
The Bluejays faced a 5-1 deficit entering the fifth, when Conner Kenyon walked, Helmers reached on an error and Caden Steva was hit by a pitch.
Olejniczak then hit a rocket that landed at the bottom of the fence in dead-center field, driving in two runs. Dougan’s follow-on double plated two more runs, with a Keghan West base hit scoring Dougan as the Jays streaked to a 6-5 lead.
Kaden Boyer walked, with the runners moving to second and third base after a pair of outs. Kenyon then hit a chopper to third base, which was bobbled. Boyer ran into the tag out, which was ruled to have occurred before West crossed home plate, denying Perry a seventh run, a decision that — mildly put — the Perry partisans heartily disagreed with.
A Bulldog run in the sixth tied the score, setting the stage for extra innings.
West started and went four innings on the hill, allowing five runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Olejniczak — who entered the game having thrown just three frames all season — was called upon for four innings of relief. He allowed one run on two hits and a walk while striking out three.
Dougan was handed the loss in one stanza of relief. He yielded two runs on three hits while striking out one.
Olejniczak had two doubles, a single, three RBIs and a run, with Dougan addign a single, a double, two RBIs and a run. West had two hits, a RBI and a stolen base, with Boyer, Avery Meister and Alex Morales each recording a base hit.
Ben Heeren went four innings for the Bulldogs, surrendering five runs (four earned) on three hits and a walk while fanning one batter. Kayden Kruse threw 2-2/3 frames, allowing a run on four hits with four strikeouts while Church won in 2-1/3 innings of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out one.
Kruse had a triple, a single, two runs and a RBI for the visitors, with Sam Christensen hitting a double, a single and driving in one run. Jacob Craven had two RBIs and two hits to also aid Ogden.
Perry is at Kuemper Catholic (16-13) tonight and will host Nevada (5-20) Friday before closing the regular season at Pella (9-20) Monday.
