Junior Kato Dougan did all he could to help deliver a victory for the Perry baseball team Thursday, only to have the hobgoblin that has haunted the Bluejays all season — a defensive lapse — allow visiting Boone to escape with a 7-6 win in their Raccoon River Conference tussle.
Boone (13-5, 5-1) had scored an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to defeat visiting Perry (0-14, 0-9) earlier this season, and won Thursday’s game in similar fashion, as a lead-off error and eventual wild pitch plated the fatal run.
The Toreadors held a 4-1 lead off Bluejay starter Dougan in the bottom of the second when the junior and senior Kaleb Olejniczak hit consecutive RBI-singles to close the gap to 4-3.
Single Boone tallies in the fourth and sixth frames pushed the guests into a 6-3 lead and chased Dougan for reliever Conner Kenyon.
Two-out walks to Quinn Helmers and Caden Steva put two Jays on the bases when Dougan — batting in the ninth spot in the lineup — hit a towering drive that plopped just beyond the left-field fence for a three-run home run to tie the contest. The homer was the first of the season for Perry.
Kenyon worked out of one-out jam with runners on second and third in the seventh before Dylan Bangs reached on a throwing error and eventually came around to score.
Boone starter Ben Craven was lifted after six frames for Spencer Turner, who struck out five of the six batters he faced to stifle any chance the Jays had of launching a winning rally.
Craven yielded six runs (five earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out three.
Bret Price and Morgan Smith each hit a single and double for Boone, with Tegan Bock adding two hits. Bangs had a single, a walk and reached on an error. He stole three bases and Bock two.
Helmers had two singles for the hosts, with Justin Stammer adding a hit. Dougan and Helmers each scored twice, and Steva and Stammer once each, with Kenyon adding a RBI.
Dougan went 5-1/3 on the mound, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk. Kenyon threw 2-2/3 innings of relief and was assessed the loss. He allowed an unearned run on two hits and a walk and joined Dougan in each recording four strikeouts.
Perry is at Carlisle tonight, hosts Bondurant-Farrar Wednesday and will travel to Ballard Thursday.
