Saydel entered Thursday’s non-conference baseball game at Perry with a 1-9 record, with the hosts winless in nine contests.
The likelihood of a mistake-free contest was thus quite low, but it also assured both teams would give everything they had to capture what both must have felt was a winnable contest.
The effort from both teams was evident, but Perry ended up committing eight errors and Saydel six, with an 11-9 edge in total hits helping the visiting Eagles record a 12-10 victory.
Toss in a series of calls each coaching staff felt were questionable and the game slowed to a near stand-still, the seven innings requiring nearly three hours to complete.
Perry led, 1-0, when Saydel used two hits, two walks and a two-run outfield error to grab a 4-1 lead in the third.
The advantage did not last long, as singles from Keghan West and Conner Kenyon and a one-out two-run double from Kaden Boyer fueled a Bluejay rally. Kato Dougan beat out an infield hit, with Caden Steva dropping a double just inside the right field line as Perry moved into a 5-4 lead.
Both teams made several lapses in the fourth, with Saydel scoring twice and Perry three times, giving the hosts an 8-6 lead that turned into a 10-8 hole after two Bluejay errors kept alive the fifth frame as the Eagles scored four times.
Perry tied the game in the sixth and had the bases loaded on three walks with only one out but reliever Austin Pyles — who had given up the walks — suddenly hunkered down and struck out consecutive batters to leave the game knotted at 10-all.
Saydel scored twice in the seventh for a 12-10 lead and had the bases loaded when Bluejay catcher Conner Kenyon blocked the plate and tagged out an Eagle attempting to score on a squeeze bunt. Reliever Kaleb Olejniczak struck out the next batter to leave three on base and give the hosts one final chance, but Perry could not scratch across any runs and suffered the loss.
Avery Meister started for the Jays and went 4-2/3 innings, allowing nine runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out four. Dougan went 1-1/3 on the hill, allowing three runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batter while Olejniczak hit one batter, intentionally walked one and struck out another in facing four foes. Dougan suffered the pitching loss.
Pyles picked up the win in two innings of relief. He allowed two runs on three walks, a hit batter and a hit while fanning three. Zach Bobenhouse had started and thrown five frames, allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits, five walks and a strikeout.
Chase Lee and Pyles had two hits apiece for Saydel, with Logan Carney providing two singles and a double.
Stevea walked twice, drove in two runs and had a single and a double for the Bluejays, with Boyer adding a single and a double and scoring three times while driving in two runs. Dougan, West and Kenyon also had hits for Perry.
