Geneva's Perry delivers another gem
It's a brand new season for Geneva.
And the same old Riley Perry.
Consider those both good things for the fourth-seeded Vikings, who opened play in the Class 4A Geneva regional with a 1-0 win over West Chicago.
Perry improved to 10-2 and added to his all-time Geneva wins record by tossing another complete game. He only allowed 3 hits but lost his control late in the game to give the 13th-seeded Wildcats several opportunities for the upset.
Each time Perry had the answer to end the rally, including a game-closing strikeout with the tying run at second in the seventh inning.
"Playoffs, first game, nothing more you can ask for than a 1-0 game," Perry said. Geneva will play the winner of Thursday's St. Charles East-Glenbard West matchup in Saturday's regional final. The Vikings will be going for their third regional title - and third in four years after winning in 2007 and 2008.
And another regional crown sure would be that much sweeter after a 1-6 finish in the Western Sun cost the Vikings a championship.
"We didn't get the season how we wanted it to end, that's for sure," Perry said. "But we want to finish strong in the playoffs. Winning the first game helps."
Geneva (21-13) could have made life a little less stressful for Perry but left 10 runners stranded.
That included leaving the bases loaded in the second and fifth innings and a pair on in the first and sixth.
In the second, West Chicago starter Charles Jacques retired Alex Sroka on a fly to left. In the fifth Matt Williams scorched a ball to left only to see left fielder Matt Ackerman make a sensational diving catch to strand the bases and keep the Wildcats within 1-0.
"It would have been easier (with more runs) so if you get someone on so it's not the tying run," Perry said. "But 1-0 is a fun game."
As it turned out the only run West Chicago (13-20) allowed came in the first when pinch runner Jerod Campbell took second on a wild pitch, stole third and barely beat the throw to the plate on a wild pitch.
"In the playoffs you win games any way you can," Geneva coach Matt Hahn said. "This is why you throw your No. 1 in this game. (Otherwise) we are raking the field for somebody else."
Perry fanned six and walked nobody in the first 4 innings.
He walked two in the fifth and gave up a single but escaped when first baseman Jack Delabar made a nice tag on a ground out.
Perry walked three in the sixth. Catcher Eric Renner threw out a runner trying to steal second and Perry fanned the final two batters to again leave the Wildcats scoreless.
"I was flying open toward first base instead of staying back," Perry said of the six walks in the final three innings. He credited Renner with helping him through it.
Hahn had his bullpen busy in those later innings but left the game in Perry's hands.
"You have to dance with the kid who brought you," Hahn said. "How many big wins has he come up with? How many big innings has he come up with? Every time we needed an out today he got it."
Jacques also pitched around walks - 9 of them. He only allowed 5 hits, 3 by Geneva second baseman Brian Cornick.
Jacques (2-7) struck out 15 in 6 innings earlier this year against Geneva but also walked five in that game.
"That was the scouting report," Hahn said. "We went up there with the idea to be patient at the plate. I think the scouting report helped and our game plan worked. We had scoring opportunities every inning."