SLATER — Ballard, trailing by two runs, had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the seventh Thursday, but Perry sophomore Keghan West allowed only a sacrifice fly before ending the game on a strikeout and saving a 7-6 win for the visiting Bluejays.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
With one out in the seventh Ballard’s Will Stalder reached on an error, with Noah Payne drawing a walk and chasing Perry reliever Alexis Garrido, who was on for starter Austin Carpenter.
West entered and promptly hit Tanner Brock with a pitch to load the bases, then induced a RBI-sac fly by lead-off hitter Jack Luster for the second out. He ended the drama by striking out Reece Huen on a 2-2 fastball to preserve the Raccoon River Conference win for Carpenter.
Carpenter went 4-2/3 innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on nine hits and four walks while striking out four. Garrido tossed 1-2/3 frames, walking one batter and hitting another while yielding an unearned run and striking out two.
Luster took the loss in seven full innings. He was touched for seven runs on 12 hits and a walk while fanning three.
Perry (3-5, 3-2) scored four times in their first at-bat and once in their second, with Ballard touching home once in the first and once in the third to put the score at 5-2. Two Perry runs in the fourth but the guests ahead, 7-2, but Ballard (5-6, 1-2) crossed the plate three times in their half of the fourth to stay within range, down 7-5.
Singles by Kaleb Olejniczak and Brandon Kenyon started the Perry first. Each moved up a base on a Gavin Boyer sacrifice, with Carpenter doubling in both runs. Justin Stammer walked, with a Garrido RBI-ground out and an Aaron Lockwood RBI-double tacking on the third and fourth runs.
Olejniczak singled, moved to second on a ground out and raced home on a Boyer single for Perry’s fifth run. A wild pitch after a single and a walk and a Boyer RBI-hit pushed two runs home for the Jays in the fourth.
Boyer had two RBIs and joined Stammer in hitting three singles apiece, with Olejniczak hitting two singles, and Kenyon and Kate Dougan one each, with Carpenter and Lockwood smacking doubles.
Perry will host Gilbert Tuesday and ADM Wednesday, with a trip to Saydel scheduled for Thursday.
