The Saint Jo baseball team won a high scoring game at Perrin-Whitt on Tuesday in come-from-behind fashion.
The Panthers won with the football type score 23-16 against the Pirates, taking the lead in the final inning before adding more runs for insurance.
Saint Jo started the game hot as Jace Johnson hit a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. Perrin-Whitt was able to wrestle the lead away as the team scored four runs on three hits, three fielding errors and one hit batter. The Pirates led 4-3 heading into the second inning.
The Panthers failed to get anything going while Perrin-Whitt added three more runs to up the lead to 7-3. Saint Jo had a big third inning with the bats.
Collin Thomas stole home for one run with the bases loaded. David Moreno hit into a fielder’s choice that drove in another run. Payton Harris scored on the base paths. Tyler Cook drove in two runs on a double. Thomas hit a ball to the pitcher that resulted in an error that drove in a run. Cook would then score on an error by the catcher.
Brice Durham would then cap the 10-run inning off with a bases clearing triple. The Panthers now led 13-7.
The Pirates closed the gap with a two-RBI single to make the score 13-9.
Saint Jo was able to load the bases up in the fourth inning. Thomas hit a groundball to first base, but an error allowed him to reach first safely while a run scored, upping the Panthers lead to 14-9. A fielding error from Saint Jo in the outfield allowed Perrin-Whitt to make up that run, making the score 14-10 heading into the fifth inning.
The Panthers failed to get any base runner on during the fifth inning. The Pirates scored one more run to cut the lead to 14-11 as the game moved to the sixth inning.
Besides a drawn walk with two outs, Saint Jo again failed to do much on offense. This left the door open for Perrin-Whitt to take the lead with a big inning.
The Pirates scored four runs on back-to-back two out hits to take the lead 15-14 heading into the final inning. After failing to do much the previous two innings the Panthers bats found their groove again in a big way.
Harris would tie the game as he drove in a run with a single. With the bases loaded, Moreno would then give Saint Jo the lead back as he cleared the bases with a three RBI double.
Cook would then drive in two runs on a triple. Thomas would then drive him in with his own triple. Thomas would score thanks to an error at second base.
Following a third straight triple from Johnson, Harris would drive him in as he grounded out to the shortstop.
The Panthers trailed by one run coming into the inning and now led 23-15.
Perrin-Whitt’s lead off batter got on base with a single, eventually reaching third base.
A dropped third strike allowed him to score to cut the lead to 23-16.
With two outs and no one on base the Pirates tried to get a two out rally going. A single and a walk put two base runners on as Perrin-Whitt hoped to ride this momentum for several more runs.
Fortunately for Saint Jo, the next batter grounded into a fielder’s choice at second base for the third out ending the game.

To read the full story, pick up a copy of the weekend edition of the Bowie News.