MIDDLETOWN >> Ryan Perry’s walk-off RBI single with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning scored teammate Joseph Zell with the winning run as the Middletown Mustangs beat the Swett Warriors of Crockett 7-6 in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division IV baseball playoffs on Wednesday afternoon at Wes Martin Field in Middletown.
Middletown (13-12) scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to push ahead 6-5 only to watch Swett tie the game with a run in the top of the seventh. In fact, the Warriors (10-8-1) had the potential go-ahead run at third base with no outs but reliever Luke Holt, the Mustangs’ third pitcher, worked out of the jam by getting a groundout to second against a drawn-in infield and back-to-back strikeouts.
Zell led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and Jack Sisson, promoted from the junior varsity squad, struck out but reached first on an error by the Swett catcher. Zell moved to third base on a wild pitch before Perry lined a single above the third baseman’s head and into left field.
The win moves Middletown, a loser of its first nine games this season, over the .500 mark for the first time this year. It also puts the Mustangs into the quarterfinal round against No. 13 seed St. Patrick/St. Vincent of Vallejo, a 5-2 upset winner over No. 4 seed Fortuna in another first-round game. Because of that upset, No. 5 seed Middletown will host the quarterfinal on Friday at 5 p.m.
Swett, the No. 12 seed, had upset on its mind as well and the Warriors scored three times in the top of the third inning to open up a 5-1 lead. Middletown answered right back with three runs in the bottom half to close to 5-4.
Thomas Cook, who relieved Middletown starter Trevor LaFave to open the fifth, blanked Swett for two innings before giving way to Holt. Cook allowed one hit, struck out three and walked one. LaFave allowed Swett’s first five runs, four of them earned, struck out two and walked one in four innings on the mound.
Sisson had two hits for Middletown, both doubles, and drove in two runs. Cameron Ketchum led the Mustangs with three hits while Zell and Jordan Fowler added two apiece.
The Middletown-St. Patrick/St. Vincent winner will meet the winner of another quarterfinal between No. 1 seed St. Mary’s and No. 8 Piedmont in the Division IV semifinals next Tuesday or Wednesday at the home of the highest surviving seed.
In other quarterfinal action, No. 2 Kelseyville hosts No. 7 Del Norte on Saturday at 1 p.m., and No. 3 St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda hots No. 6 Fort Bragg on Friday at 7 p.m.
