Indians pull out 10-inning win in Perryville

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Fans looking for offense should have stayed away from Perryville's City Park on Friday.

But those in search of pitching came to the right place.

Jackson's Zach McDowell and Perryville's Colby Brown hooked up in a classic duel, each allowing just a hit and an unearned run through the regulation seven innings.

Brown's day was done at that point, but McDowell fired two more hitless frames and emerged the winner after visiting Jackson pushed across two runs in the top of the 10th inning for a 3-1 victory.

"It was just a really good high school baseball game," Jackson coach Tatum Kitchen said. "Zach really carried us. I feel like we're OK offensively, but we couldn't get anything off him [Brown]."

Perryville starter Colby Brown delivers a pitch to a Jackson batter during the fifth inning Friday. (Fred Lynch)

Perryville entered play having won six of its first seven games. Kitchen had received favorable scouting reports on the Pirates and they were as good as advertised.

"We heard they were very good defensively and could hit the ball," Kitchen said after the Pirates turned in several defensive gems.

While Perryville may be a good hitting squad, the Pirates did nothing against McDowell, a senior left-hander who fired a complete-game shutout in his first start of the year against Hillsboro on March 31.

McDowell went two more innings this time, a career high, while also reaching a career high for strikeouts with 12.

"I'd never even pitched seven innings before until the Hillsboro game," said McDowell, who walked four and allowed just a second-inning bloop single by Dustin Thompson. "My arm wasn't feeling too bad. After a while the adrenaline kicks in."

Jackson starter Zach McDowell delivers a pitch to a Perryville batter during the second inning Friday.

Asked what was working Friday, McDowell said: "My changeup was all right. The fastball was pretty good. I was just trying to get ahead in the count."

Kitchen said McDowell wanted to go back out for the 10th inning, but the coach thought better of it.

"He didn't want to come out, but this early in the year I didn't want to chance it," Kitchen said.

Brown was wilder than McDowell, walking eight, but he was able to escape several jams. He struck out six.

"My arm felt real good. I felt like I was hitting my spots," Brown said.

Jackson second baseman Laban Petzoldt tags out Perryville baserunner Dustin Thompson on a rundown during the fourth inning Friday.

Kody Martin relieved Brown and fired two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, before Jackson finally broke through.

Martin retired the first batter in the 10th but Mason Sander doubled.

Alex Bolen was walked intentionally to set up a potential force play. Dylan Koehler made Perryville pay for that move with a single to left field that scored pinch-runner Trey Parker and broke the deadlock.

"It got me going a little bit," Koehler said about the intentional walk. "I definitely wanted to get a hit."

Logan Bartels was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Trevor Jaco's single scored Bolen for an insurance run. Perryville escaped further damage on the play when center fielder Cale Regelsberger's perfect throw nailed Koehler at the plate.

Adam James came on to close out the victory. He retired the first two batters before running into trouble.

Tyler Blessing doubled and went to third on a single by Ross Moldenhauer. But the threat ended on an infield pop fly as James notched the save.

"Their pitcher did pretty well, but I thought Zach won the game for us," Koehler said. "He pitched his butt off."

Jackson scored in the first inning without a hit. McDowell drew a leadoff walk. Courtesy runner Cole Blanton stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and came home on Sander's one-out sacrifice fly.

A bit of good fortune for Perryville prevented the Indians from getting another run in the third inning.

Laban Petzoldt reached on a one-out error and stole second. Sander's two-out single up the middle -- the lone hit off Brown -- looked like it easily would score Petzoldt, but the ball hit the second-base bag and stayed on the infield, forcing Petzoldt to stop at third. Brown retired the next batter.

Perryville answered with its own unearned run without a hit in the third inning.

Thomas Hutchinson reached on catcher's interference leading off. Blessing sacrificed and Hutchinson went to third on a passed ball.

Moldenhauer walked and appeared to be picked off first by McDowell. But a throw to second got away, allowing Hutchinson to score.

That's the way things stood until the 10th. Even though the Pirates fell short, coach Don O'Keefe had few complaints.

"We played hard, we played well defensively, Colby did a wonderful job," O'Keefe said. "He's one of our most improved kids from last year. We just couldn't hit their left-hander."

Koehler went 2 for 2 with three walks. Sander went 2 for 4.

Despite the loss, Brown said he believes the Pirates can keep building on their strong start to the season.

"We're looking pretty sharp so far. Hopefully we can keep it up," Brown said.

Jackson 100 000 000 2 -- 3 5 4

Perryville 001 000 000 0 -- 1 3 2

WP -- Zach McDowell. LP -- Kody Martin. 2B -- Mason Sander (J), Tyler Blessing (P). Multiple hits -- Jackson: Sander 2-4, Dylan Koehler 2-2. Records -- Jackson 5-3, Perryville 6-2.