SALEM CANT FIND THEIR FOOTING
SALEM OH- Salem ran into trouble Saturday and couldn’t dig out, falling to Massillon Perry 12-1 after an eight-run explosion in the fourth inning flipped the game on its head.
Perry got on the board early, taking advantage of a dropped third strike and a groundout to plate two in the top of the first. They tacked on two more in the third with a double and a fielder’s choice to make it 4-0.
Then came the fourth. Salem couldn’t stop the bleeding as Perry strung together three hits, mixed in a few freebies, and took full advantage of a couple defensive miscues. When the dust settled, eight runs had crossed the plate, and the Quakers were suddenly staring down a 12-0 hole.
Salem got one back in the bottom half thanks to a Colin Riesen RBI, and Bairon Exline chipped in a perfect 2-for-2 day at the plate, but it wasn’t nearly enough to close the gap.
Braydon Van Dyne got the start and battled through 3.2 innings, striking out three but running into trouble in that big fourth frame. On the flip side, Perry’s starter went the full five innings, holding Salem to just one run on four hits without a walk.
Perry finished with nine hits and played clean defense, while also swiping four bags on the basepaths. The Quakers now regroup and look ahead to a road trip to Girard on Monday.