LIMA — Lehman Catholic did exactly what it needed to with a share of the title on the line.
It continually put the ball in play and forced Perry to make plays.
Perry wasn’t able to make enough defensive plays and Lehman posted a 15-6 baseball victory over Perry on Tuesday.
The victory gives Lehman at least a share of the Northwest Central Conference baseball title at 6-1. Lehman is 13-3 overall.
Perry played a Ridgemont on Wednesday and could have earned a share of the title with a victory. The Commodores were 11-8 overall and 5-1 in the NWCC heading into Wednesday’s game.
Lehman led 7-0 in the fourth, as it got help from a couple of Perry errors.
Perry scored four in the home sixth to get as close as 9-6.
But Perry was thin on pitching at that point and Lehman tacked on six in the seventh.
“They didn’t quit and they have good players. But then we came back and got six (in the seventh) and that was big,” Lehman coach Dave King said. “That game was three hours long. There was a lot of good stuff, but there was a lot of bad stuff, too. But that’s baseball.’’
Perry starter Keaton Miller went the first 1 2/3 innings and gave up six runs, but only two were earned, on six hits.
Louis Hoersten came on for Perry and worked the next four innings before he walked three straight batters in the sixth and was taken out with his pitch count hovering near 80.
Hoersten gave up three runs, two earned, in his four innings. He gave up only one hit and struck out seven.
Lehman starter Drew Barhorst ran into command issues, as well, and lasted only 3 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits. He walked four and struck out two.
Jared Magoteaux picked up the win in relief. He went 3 2/3 innings and gave up four runs, two earned.
Three of Perry’s five errors came in the first two innings, which led to Lehman going out to a 6-0 lead.
Down 9-2 in the sixth, Perry had a couple of big hits to rally back. Logan Liles’ two-run double brought Perry within 9-4. Kevin Miller’s two-run single made it 9-6.
But Lehman kept stringing together line-drive hits in the ninth to post a six-run inning. R.J. Bertini and Alex Keller both had RBI singles to make it 11-6. Seth Roe added a two-run single and it was 14-6.
For Lehman, Barhorst went 2 for 5. Bryce Kennedy was 2 for 4. Bertini was 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Keller went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs.
For Perry, Kevin Miller went 3 for 3 with two doubles and 2 RBIs.