RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
After enduring two rainouts this week, the Adams Central Flying Jets finally opened their baseball season with a 5-3 loss to the Rochester Zebras in the first round of the Howard County Invitational Tournament Friday night at Eastern High School in Greentown.
Rochester’s ace, junior righthander Tanner Reinartz, struck out ten Jets while giving up four hits and six walks in six innings to notch the win.
The Jets’ Dakota Perry, who took the loss, matched Reinartz through two innings, as both hurlers pitched shoutout ball.
Then the Zebras (2-1) erupted for four runs in the third inning with a rally that turned out to be the difference in the contest. Perry struck out the first hitter of the frame, but center fielder Parker Casper lined a single to center to get things started, and Brady Coleman beat out a bunt down the third base line to put runners on first and second. Perry struggled with the next hitter, shortstop Carson Paulik, walking him on four pitches to load the bases. A passed ball allowed Casper to score, and then Reinartz, after fouling off three two-strike pitches, walked to load the bases again.
Zebra catcher Jake Seuferer lined a 1-1 pitch to left field, driving in Coleman and Paulik to make it 3-0. A double steal and a wild pitch led to the fourth run of the inning before Perry stopped the rally by striking out Gavin Young and Brant Beck.
The Jets quickly got one run back in the top of the fourth when Jack Hamilton walked on four pitches with one out, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scampered home on Perry’s sharp single to right.
Perry gave up one more run in the bottom of the fourth when Casper’s fly ball down the right field line fell in for a double, scoring Brady Beck, who had singled to lead off the inning.
The Jets fought back to make a game of it in the sixth inning. Hamilton walked with one out, then stole second. Perry’s infield hit moved Hamilton to third, where he scored on Reinartz’s balk, which also advanced Perry to second. He eventually scored when Keagen Combs drilled a single to right, pulling the Jets within two at 5-3.
That was the end of the scoring. The Jets’ Carson Ross shut down the Zebras for two innings, and Paulik, in relief of Reinartz, tossed a scoreless seventh for the save, yielding only a leadoff walk to Trevor Currie.
Perry struck out seven, gave up five hits, and walked three for the Jets. Ross gave up no hits and only one walk.
Perry led the Jets with two hits. Hamilton scored two runs and stole two bases.
“We did all right,” summed up Adams Central head coach Josh Foster. “We’ve only been outside twice, so we had to knock a little rust off, and I fully expect both games tomorrow to go a little differently.” (Each team is guaranteed three games in the tourney.)
In the evening’s first game, the host Eastern Comets, coached by former Bellmont and Goshen College standout Erik Hisner, lost to Peru, 7-6. The Comets had taken a 6-2 lead into the sixth inning, but a four-run Peru rally tied it, and the Tigers pushed across a run in the eighth to win it.
Both games were played on Eastern’s brand new $2.4 million artificial turf field.
Play continues Saturday, as Adams Central takes on Eastern at 12:30 at Northwestern High School. Foster plans to start junior lefty Cade Van De Weg on the mound.