The Summit High School varsity baseball team exploded for 12 runs to win the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader on Monday, May 24 after losing the opener to Canon City at the Frisco Peninsula Recreation Area.

Tigers sophomore Brecken Perlow drove in four runs in the 12-6 nightcap victory, which followed the Tigers 4-2 loss in the opener. Perlow’s second-game hitting heroics came on a 2-of-3 performance at the plate to pace a Summit offense that received RBIs from six different batters.

Summit took a 6-2 lead after a 4-run bottom-of-the-third inning. Junior KJ Slaugh hit both a double and triple for Summit while other Tigers batters were patient enough to get in eight walks.

“Brecken Perlow had an amazing date at the plate along with Zach Willms and KJ Slaugh,” Tigers head coach Patrick Stehler said. “And along with just timely hits and good base running, we were able to establish a lead and hold on for the win.”

The Tigers offensive outburst combined with four innings of tactful pitching from Summit junior Charlie Pedigo. Pedigo relented eight hits but only gave up two earned runs.

“He did absolutely amazing,” Stehler said. “He was able to get out in front of hitters and get easy popups and ground balls.”

Stehler said the Tigers also benefited from a pair of gem fielding plays by junior leftfielder Jax Boyd and sophomore centerfielder Jack Schierholz.

“Those were incredible plays,” Stehler said. “The one that Jax made was over his head spinning around in left field right by the fence. And then Jack Schierholz got some amazing reads on balls hit to left and right center field. They came right in the middle of the game in clutch situations where Canon City had opportunities to score with runners in scoring position.”

Boyd came on in relief for Pedigo, striking out two batters and giving up seven hits and three earned runs to close it out.

“Given the circumstance of the score, by the time he came into the game he pitched great and was dead focused,” Stehler said. “There was a call that went bad against him earlier in the game and he shook that and overcame it and finished out the game for us in the last two innings.”

The Tigers were down 2-0 at the top of the first inning of the opener, but Stehler said senior Zach Misch pitched a great game. Misch threw five and one-third innings without relenting a run, as the three runs Canon City mustered with him on the mound came as a result of errors in the field. Misch struck out two batters, walked two and gave up eight hits while the Tigers struggled at the plate. Canon City starting pitcher Coletin Renn pitched a complete-game 2-hitter with seven strikeouts.

“Our bats just couldn’t get it going against Canon City’s starter, he threw an awesome game,” Stehler said. “We just couldn’t get it going. They got on the board early and we battled back and played catch up.”

At the plate, Boyd and sophomore Will Koll were the only two players to connect for hits versus Renn, and Summit only earned three walks in the game. Stehler said Summit’s scores came via scrappy baserunning. Koll only relented one hit and no runs in his one and two-third innings, closing out the game in relief for Misch.

“He was able to keep the hitters off balance and had his breaking ball working,” Stehler said.

With the split, Summit’s record is now 5-5 and 4-3 in 4A Western Slope League play, good enough for third place out of six teams. Palisade leads the league with a 6-0 record in Western Slope play.

The Tigers have an extended time without a game before their final six games of the season resume on Thursday, June 3 at Rifle.

“Right now our goal is to win out the season,” Stehler said. “We know we have big challenges up ahead with Rifle, two against Glenwood and Steamboat and we end the season versus Grand Junction. We have to see how it plays out within our league. We do still have playoff hopes and winning out is the best shot to make that happen.”