Both starting pitchers, Perkins and Farmington's Scott Hueckman, were on the top of their game early. Both were backed with solid defense play, but also untimely hitting.
Rome got on the board first, in the top of the 8th inning. With two out and nobody on, Hueckman hit Aaron Adsit with a pitch. After a stolen bases, Perkins helped his own cause by driving in the game's first run, with a single.
The Braves evened the score in the bottom of the frame. Ryan Christian lead-off with a single, stole second, and ended up at third base with two outs. Billy Owens came to bat with two bases open, but after a conference on the hill Perkins elected to pitch to him. Owens promptly lined a single into center tying the score.
Hueckman entered the ninth and yielded a double to Randy Barnes, and a long opposite field homerun to Dan Turner, giving the Raiders a 3-2 lead. Farmington was done yet. Matt Zickert lead-off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and was forced out on James Melchior's fielder's choice. Todd Chingway, and Dave Meyers followed with singles of their own, scoring Melchior and cutting the lead to one. But Perkins hunkered down to get a ground out from Ryan Christian, and a fly out from Nick Heiting to end the ball game.
With the victory Rome clinches a spot in the playoffs. The (7-10) Braves will face a must-win situation next week hosting Dousman if they hope to grab the final seed.
Braves AB R H RBI W K Raiders AB R H RBI W K
Heiting ss 5 0 0 0 0 2 Perkins p 4 0 1 1 0 1
Padron lf 4 0 2 0 0 1 Manne 2b 4 0 0 0 0 3
Owens 2b 4 0 1 1 0 1 Barnes lf 4 1 1 0 0 0
Hueckman p 4 0 1 0 0 0 Turner 1b 4 1 2 2 0 1
Zickert 3b 4 0 1 0 0 2 Anderson c 4 0 0 0 0 0
Melchior dh 3 1 1 0 1 1 Block rf 4 0 1 0 0 0
Chingway c 3 0 1 0 1 0 Pinnow 3b 4 0 0 0 0 1
-Broom pr - - - - - - Hisel ss 4 0 0 0 0 1
Meyers cf 4 0 2 0 0 2 Adsit cf 2 1 0 0 0 1
Christian rf 4 1 1 1 0 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Raiders 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 5 0
Braves 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 10 1
2B- Barnes, Turner. 3B- none. HR- Turner.
HBP- Adsit. SB- Christian, Adsit. CS- Padron, Melchior.
E- Hochmuth.
Braves IP H R ER BB SO
Hueckman (L) 8.0 4 3 3 0 6
Hochmuth 1.0 1 0 0 0 2
Raiders IP H R ER BB SO
Perkins (W) 9.0 10 2 2 2 10