The Perry bats belted 11 hits to produce nine runs as host Bluejays defeated the visiting Bluejays of Bondurant-Farrar, 9-2, in Raccoon River Conference baseball at Progressive Field Wednesday.
Perry (6-16, 5-7) was playing in front of a large and energetic crowd, comprised in large part of former players from head coach Mike Long’s 40-year career, gathered to cheer on their old school and salute their one-time skipper.
The current crop of Bluejays wasted little time in seizing control of the game, scoring four times in the first and three more times in the third inning before a two-run fourth frame opened a 9-0 gulf. B-F (15-14, 8-5) was able to scratch across single tallies in the fifth and seventh, but it was far from enough to avoid the loss.
Janier Puente was on first base with two outs when Adan Medina was hit by a pitch. Brandon Kenyon followed with a ground-rule double to score Puente and move Medina to third, with Alexis Garrido walking to load the bases.
An infield hit to shortstop from Austin Carpenter scored Medina, with an errant throw allowing Kenyon to race home, with Garrido never stopping runner and scoring from first when the B-F defense was lackadaisical in getting the ball back to the infield.
A two-run Garrido single and error off the bat of Justin Stammer pushed Perry into a 7-0 lead in the third, with a sacrifice fly from Kenyon and an Aaron Lockwood RBI-single scoring the final pair of Perry runs.
Kyle Nevitt threw four scoreless innings to earn the win for Perry, with Carpenter tossing the final three frames. Nevitt allowed two hits and walked two while striking out three, with Carpenter touched for two runs on five hits and a walk. He hit one batter with a pitch and struck out another.
Kenyon had a single, a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base, with Garrrido providing two singles, two walks, two runs and two RBIs. Carpenter had two hits, a walk, a RBI and a run, Lockwood a hit, two walks and a RBI while Justin Stammer also drove in a run.
Medina and Puente each scored twice, with Nevitt recording two base hits, Puente one and Kaleb Olejniczak one.
Perry visits Ballard tonight, and will host Grinnell Monday for their home finale before traveling to Kuemper Catholic July 6.
I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the planning and organizing of the ceremony Wednesday night at Progressive Field. Special thanks to Kevin Ruggle, Joel Ruggle and Jeff Webster for their part in getting so many to show up at the game. It was great seeing and talking to so many of my former players and coaches. I also apologize to any players I was unable to personally talk to tonight. I was reminded many times Wednesday that it wasn’t about the games that we were able to win but things like discipline, dedication and hard work that they took from playing baseball. Sometimes today we lose sight of what sports are all about, but Wednesday night I was reminded why I’ve coached for so long at the greatest high school in Iowa. Thanks guys, I will never forget any of you!