Baseball: Perry wins inaugural Bob Everett Classic

March 18, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


It's not logical to expect a pitcher's duel when high school teams are playing their seventh game in four days. And for Perry and Red Mountain, the title-game participants in the inaugural Bob Everett Classic, their matchup Thursday night  was the third of the day for both.

Perry's bats were the more potent as the Pumas rallied from 8-2 down after three innings to take a 16-8 victory at Highland High and wrap up the five-day event. Perry (12-4) was the only non-pool winner (five pools) to qualify for six-team bracket play on Thursday as the No. 6 seed. Red Mountain (12-4) was the No. 4 seed. Red Mountain advanced via 9-4 and 9-6 wins, respectively, over Williams Field and Westwood. Perry took care of Highland (10-0) and Skyline (6-0) earlier in the day. Perry ws 6-1 in the tournament andwon its last six games in a row after opening with a loss to Basha. Red Mountain won five of its seven games.

Perry's Trevor Hauver and Wacy Crenshaw were the key run-producers combining for 11 RBI ( 7 for Huaver). The pair hit back-to-back home runs in the first inning to stake Perry to a 2-0 lead. Hauver capped his 3-5 night with grand slam in a six-run, sixth inning that sealed the outcome Crenshaw was 3-3 with two walks..Leadoff hitter Tommy Sacco added three hits and scored four runs and clean-up hitter Cody Holtz collected a team-high four hits. Tayt Smith at the bottom of the order checked in with three hits. Perry totaled 18 hits for the game.

Perry's wildness on the mound early helped Red Mountain rally from a 2-0  deficit. The Pumas walked four batters in the first leading to three runs. Red Mountain added on in the second and third innings and was cruising with an 8-2 lead.

But Perry had a stopper on the mound in Beau Brieske, who entered in the fourth and threw three scoreless innings while the Pumas battled back. Brieske fanned eight in his stint and allowed two base runners -- both on walks. Brieske won as a starter in Perry's first game of the tourney on Monday with four innings of work against Mesquite.

Jacob Stobart and Anthony DeFrancesco drove in two runs each for Red Mountain and Josh White had one. Red Mountain collected just five hits --only one the final five innings. Nine walks were the key to the Mountain Lions scoring eight times.

Both teams are finished with invitationals and focus on power-ranking games the rest of the way. Perry's next game is Tuesday (March 22) at home against Desert Ridge. Red Mountain's next game in on the road Wedneday (March 23) at Campo Verde.