Perry baseball, Hamilton softball win top-10 match-ups

April 1, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Two games with marquee appeal -- one baseball and one softball -- were headed to tight outcomes halfway through on Friday, but turned into blowouts rather abruptly.

Perry erupted for nine runs in the fifth inning to shatter a 2-2 tie and went on to blast Corona del Sol, 11-5,  before the sun set at Perry High. With the lights on a couple miles away at Campo Verde, Hamilton busted open a 1-0 pitcher's duel after four innings and ended up prevailing, 12-0, over the Coyotes in game ended after six innings due to the 10-run rule.

Perry, No. 4 in the current Division I baseball power-rankings, sent 13 batters to the plate in the fith inning and used a combination of hitting and bad Corona defense to win going away. Corona made two errors in the inning and failed to have anyone cover home on what ended up being a sacrifice foul out to the first baseman. Perry cranked out six hits in the inning -- two by Beau Briske (a double and triple) -- plus two RBI hits by Coleman Roberts and Tayt Smith. Five of the nine runs scored with two outs. 

Brieske finished 3-for-3 --  a home run short of a cycle -- and drove in two runs. Leadoff hitter Tommy Sacco had three hits, including a first-inning homer and 3 RBI. Logan DeMato pitched two-plus innings of relief to pick up the win. Perry improved to 16-5 overall and 7-2 in power-ranking games. Corona fell to 15-3 overall and 8-1 in power-ranking games. Connor McCord took the loss for Corona, but had a nice day at the plate going 3-for-3 -- also a homer short of a cycle. Mat Novis added three hits and Ryan Novis two for the Aztecs.

Hamilton, (19-4, 8-1 prg) which has played steady all season as its No. 3 slot in the D-I power-rankings suggests, broke out in the fifth inning for five runs and added six in the sixth against Campo Verde ace Myka Sutherlin. Through four innings, Sutherlin, whose father, Jeff, is an assistant coach for Hamilton, was working on a three-hitter -- three singles allowed. Her opponent in the circle, Abby Andersen, had a one-hitter through four. 

Extra base hits came in bunches in Hamilton's two big rallies -- eight total. Karlee Arnold and Macy Simmons ripped two-run homers in the fifth and Ali Ashner and Arnold (again) homered in the sixth. All 12 runs were off Sutherlin. Ashlin, Arnold and Simmons ahd 3 RBI apiece. Arnold and Nicole Spykstra had three hits each for Hamilton. Andersen, who had two hits, pitched five innings for the win. She allowed one hit, one walk and struck out seven. Campo Verde, No. 9 in the power-rankings, dropped its second game this week and is 15-7 overall and 7-3 prg.