Landon Kim's no-hitter leads Perkins past Bellevue

PERKINS TWP. — Landon Kim said he didn't know he was working on a no-hitter Tuesday, and the way the game ended didn't trigger a lot of hoopla over his performance. Still, he'll take it. Kim, a senior left-hander, threw a five-inning no-hitter in an SBC Lake Division baseball game that ended when the Pirates scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to clinch a 10-0 run-rule win over Bellevue. Kim, who will play college baseball at Capital University, said it was his first no-hitter at any level. "I didn't have my best stuff today," he said. "I had trouble finding the zone but made a couple nice pitches. I guess it wasn't pretty, but it counts." Kim walked Dylan Barger to lead off the game. Barger stole second but was stranded at third when Kim recorded his second strikeout. Kim walked Cody Lindsey to start the second and the bases were loaded with one out after an error and walk. That's when the Pirates defense delivered its first statement. Logan Damron grounded to second baseman Nolan Thomas, who quickly fired to shortstop Logan Lesch, who completed a double play with an accurate throw to first baseman Carson Speer. An inning later, Lesch made a big-time throw to record an out at first. In the fifth, after Kim hit Sam Hosang with one out, the Lesch-Thomas combination struck again. Lesch fielded a grounder and went to second base for an out. Thomas reached to his right, snagged the ball bare-handed and turned a timely double play. "It was to my right so I knew I couldn't really get my glove over there so I barehanded it," Thomas said. "It was a reaction play." Added Kim: "He makes plays like that all the time. It's fun watching him." Thomas' highlight-reel putout matched Lesch's assist in the third inning. Lesch, who started the season at second base, has settled in at shortstop after returning to baseball after a few years away from the game. "Nolan is comfortable at second. Logan is an athlete and we're happy he's here," Perkins coach TJ Blanton said. "He gets to any ball up the middle and has one of the better arms in the area. He's a (football) quarterback; he has quick hands." The Pirates (5-1, 2-1 Lake) had some quick bats and delivered four of their eight hits in the decisive fifth inning. "We were right in the game and it got away from us," said Bellevue coach Andy Dennings, whose team dropped to 1-3, 0-2. Leading 4-0, the Pirates started the bottom of the fifth with Dylan Crabtree's second single of the game. Kim walked before Thomas blasted his second double of the game, driving in Crabtree and Kim. Thomas had three RBI in the game. "It just kinda goes when it hits the sweet spot and I start running," Thomas said. "I like bringing in my teammates." John Zwiesler followed with an RBI single, chasing Bellevue starter Zayne Claus. Damron came on in relief and walked Lesch, who singled in the second and tripled in the fourth, before Benny Weyer reached on an error. Kaiden Kroeger then pinch-hit, and the freshman delivered a two-run single in his first varsity at-bat. Talon Walton walked to load the bases and the run-rule clicked in when Weyer scored on a soft Braylon Collier grounder that the Bellevue infield couldn't handle. The result was a message to the rest of the Lake Division: Perkins, which is averaging 12 runs per game this season, looks like the team to beat. "Our defense was clean. We turned two great double plays up the middle and 1 through 9 everyone contributed," Blanton said. "Nolan Thomas crushed the ball and Logan Lesch smashed a ball." Kim finished with seven strikeouts, walked three and hit a batter. He threw 71 pitches to get 15 outs. "He was talking about how he was high in the zone," Blanton said. "He adjusted and made the pitches he had to make." Kim and his teammates wore their new black pinstripe uniforms for their home opener, and the reviews were positive. "I love them," Kim said. "I think I wore my jersey for a couple hours before I left for school." Bellevue 000 00 — 0 0 6Perkins 102 16 — 10 8 1 WP: Kim; LP: Claus 2B: (P) Thomas 2; 3B: (P) Lesch