Perry one-hits Temple Christian in league opener

 PERRY TOWNSHIP- Perry's baseball team has a whole new attitude this spring.

Its new demeanor shone through in Thursday's 14-1, run-rule victory over visiting Temple Christian in a Northwest Central Conference opener for both squads.

Perry (3-2, 1-0 NWCC) pounded 12 hits off Temple Christian pitcher Shane Holloway, who worked all five innings of the shortened game.

Brey Buetner and Trevor Wallace both collected two hits off of Holloway.

Wallace also got the win on the mound for Perry, working four innings, giving up one run (unearned) on no hits, while striking out two and walking two. He threw a total of 47 pitches.

Drew Smith came in to work the final inning for the Commodores. Smith gave up the only Temple Christian hit - an infield hit by Austin Sutton in the fifth.

Holloway, the senior left-hander, threw 100 pitches. He scattered eight hits, while striking out four and walking five.

Temple Christian (1-2, 0-1 NWCC) scored its only run in the third. Josh Link, who reached first on an error, eventually came around and scored later that inning on a wild pitch by Wallace.

Perry wasted little time as they scored five runs in the home half of the first inning on four hits. Buetner, Kirchner and Wallace each had RBIs in the first.

Kirchner had the big hit off Holloway in the first, a double down the left-field line. Holloway struggled early on, throwing 25 pitches in the opening frame.

Perry coach Jon Shively said his team is working hard and getting better as the season progresses.

"We've talked (to the players) this year about us being a ‘blue-collar' team," Shively said. "We want them to work hard. This group is working hard everyday and it's starting to show.

"Last year, we were not hitting the ball this well. Right now, we're hitting the ball hard. ... even when it's an out. We'll get right back at it and try to keep it going."

Sutton recorded Temple Christian's hit in the fifth. That possible rally by the Pioneers was quickly stymied when Holloway, the next batter, hit a liner to third basemen Zack Gay, who alertly threw to first to double-up Austin.

Shively said despite being relatively young, his players are stepping up to the challenge early on.

"We have six seniors, but three of them start," Shively said. "Our first baseman (Buetner) is a freshman. ... he had two hits today. These freshmen and sophomores are stepping right in and contributing."

Leading 6-1, heading into the home half of the third, Perry scored five more runs, pushing out to an 11-1 lead. Cornwell's triple to deep right-center drove in two of those runs.

Perry added three more in the fourth. Eric Wantland and Justin Hyde each had base-hit RBIs to help close out the scoring for the Commodores.

Temple Christian assistant coach David Beals said with the loss of several key players from last year's team, the early part of this season has been a struggle at times.

"We have a lot of kids that are playing out of position," Beals said. "It makes it tough...but, they're playing hard."

Shively said he liked the way Wallace performed on the mound.

"We knew he had a no-hitter going into the fifth," Shively said. "But, we're more concerned on pitch count and saving arms right now. He's a sophomore. ... he didn't pitch last year, so we wanted to be careful."