HILLSBORO — A pitcher’s duel stretched into an 8-inning victory for Perryville on May 2, as the Pirates (7-7) knocked off Hillsboro 3-2 on the road. A day earlier, the Hawks (12-10) beat Perryville 10-4 despite the Pirates outhitting them 9-8.
“It was pretty intense,” said Perryville coach Don O’Keefe. “On Friday, we wound up winning in eight innings. It was a good ball game. Good baseball against Hillsboro, who’s a much larger school in our conference than we are.”
Senior Troy O’Keefe started on the mound for Perryville, giving up 1 run on 5 hits in 7 2/3 innings, striking out 11 batters and walking none. Waylon Huber worked 1/3 inning in relief, striking out 1 to end the game.
Perryville opened the scoring in the top of the fourth when Waylon Huber doubled to right field, sending Dalton Fritsche across. Hillsboro evened the score in the bottom of the inning, when Aidan Roland hit a two-out double to right, allowing Brendan Poyner to score.
The score remained tied until the top the eighth, when Troy O’Keefe scored after tagging up, then Fritsche scored on a single from Huber to make it 3-1.
Jackson Marks opened the game for Hillsboro, giving up 1 run on 1 hit over 5 2/3 innings, striking out 8 and walking 5.
At the plate, Huber finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Fritsche scored 2 runs on 3 walks. For Hillsboro, Roland went 1-for-4 with 1 RBI. Easton Day finished 4-for-4.
In the May 1 opener on Perryville’s home field, Ty Peeler, Gideon Stueve, and O’Keefe each had two hits for the Pirates.
Hillsboro opened the scoring in the first, added 4 more in the second and another in the third to take a 6-0 lead. The Pirates launched a short-lived rally in the bottom of the third, as Stueve, Troy O’Keefe and Peeler scored, making it 6-3. Hillsboro outscored Perryville 4-1 in the final three innings to set the final margin.
Perryville starter Bryce Weber gave up 8 runs, 7 earned, on 7 hits in 5 innings, striking out 4 and walking 1. Steuve worked 2 innings in relief, giving up 2 earned runs on 1 hit, striking out 1 and walking 3.
For Hillsboro, Day started on the mound, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, striking out 3 and walking 1 in 3 ⅔ innings.
At the plate, Perryville finished with 9 hits in the game. Fritsche, batting cleanup, finished 1-for-2 with 2 RBI. Peeler finished 2-for-3 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored, Steuve was 2-for-3 with 1 run scored, and Troy O’Keefe was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Weber and Hayden had 1 hit each.
Hillsboro finished with 8 hits on the day, led by Day, who finished 2-for-3 with 2 RBI.
MEADOW HEIGHTS 7, PERRYVILLE 3
Meadow Heights scored 3 runs in the first inning to take an early lead over Perryville, and added runs in the third, fifth and seventh on the way to a 7-3 victory over the Pirates on April 30.
Three consecutive singles at the top of the order — including a 2-RBI single from Braeden Hays — put the Panthers up 2-0, then went up 3-0 on another single from Caidyn Byrd.
Meadow Heights added two runs in the third on Byrd’s 2-RBI double down the left field line, making the score 5-1. They added individual runs in the fifth and the seventh to set the final score.
Perryville scored 1 run in the second and added 2 in the fifth, but were unable to close the gap.
Perryville starter Evan Hayden gave up 6 runs on 7 hits in 4 ⅓ innings, striking out 4 and walking 3. Hunter Elder worked 2 ⅔ innings in relief, giving up 1 run on 1 hit, striking out 1 and walking 2.
Meadow Heights starter gave up 3 runs on 4 hits in 7 innings, striking out 5 and walking 2.
Gideon Stueve, Eli Hemingway, Bryce Weber, and Troy O’Keefe each had one hit for Perryville, with Hayden, Hemingway, and O’Keefe each collecting 1 RBI.
Byrd finished 2-for-2 at the plate with 4 RBI for Meadow Heights.
FREDERICKTOWN 5, PERRYVILLE 0
FREDERICKTOWN — Fredericktown scored 4 runs in the bottom of the fifth on their way to a 5-0 victory over Perryville on April 28.
Fredericktown’s runs came after Caleb Feltz and Easton Wood hit RBI singles, Ryan Souden drew a bases-loaded walk, and Wood scored on a sacrifice fly. They added one more in the sixth to set the final margin.
Perryville starter Waylon Huber had a tough start on the mound, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits in 5 innings, striking out 4 and walking 2. Reliever Hunter Elder closed out the game, giving up 1 earned run on 1 hit, striking out 1 and walking 1 in 1 inning of work.
Fredericktown starter Ryan Souden pitched seven scoreless innings, giving up 4 hits, striking out 13 and walking none.
At the plate for the Pirates, Ty Peeler was 2-for-3, while Huber and Barrett Wheeler had 1 hit each. For Fredericktown, David Slinkard and Wood had 2 hits each collected two hits for Fredericktown. Ethan Marler, David Slinkard, Wood, and Souden each had 1 RBI.
