Perkins, Cary-Grove nip Crystal Lake Central

Jim Perkins saved his best efforts for when it really counted.

Perkins' RBI single in the fifth inning tied the game 4-4 and the hard-throwing senior right-hander, who will take his talents to Western Illinois next year, didn't allow a run or hit while striking out 4 in 2 innings to earn a save.

Perkins' heroics lifted Cary-Grove to a 5-4 win over Crystal Lake Central in Fox Valley Conference crossover action in Cary Saturday.

Perkins, in relief of starting and winning pitcher of Nick Franz, allowed one baserunner on a dropped third strike.

"Coach (Don Sutherland) said I was going to go in the game to pitch in relief," said Perkins, who started in center field. "My fastball was really moving and I had some bite on my curveball. I was really seeing the ball at the plate well all day."

Sutherland praised Perkins' effort.

"I wanted to put Jim in as early as the fourth," said Sutherland. "I didn't think he was warmed up enough between innings. He was really throwing hard and had good movement on his fastball. He also did a good job at the plate and came up with a clutch hit."

Franz, who wiggled out of many jams in 5 innings of work to earn the win, gave up 4 runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts and he hit a batter.

After Perkins tied the game in the fifth, Zack Forney executed a perfect sacrifice bunt with the bases loaded to score Tyler Pennington with what turned out to be the winning run.

Central (5-7-1) was the aggressor at the plate during the early portion of the game.

The Tigers plated 2 runs in the second on an RBI double by losing pitcher Luke Tevyaw and an RBI single by Riley Poppell to take a 2-0 lead.

The Trojans (10-6-2) got on the scoreboard with a run in the third. Willie Hartke, who led off the inning with a single, eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Tigers scored a run in the fourth on an RBI double by Frank Berg and added an unearned run in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead.

Matt Sutherland, who will play football and baseball at Division III North Central College, led Cary-Grove with 2 hits and an RBI.

"It was a tough loss for us," said Central coach Dan Badgley. "We had the one bad inning where we made some key mistakes defensively."