Perfection personified: Pirates’ Wilson retires all 18 Raiders he faces in 10-run victory

HANNIBAL, Mo. — Kane Wilson didn’t need to be perfect.

Yet, he was.

The Quincy Notre Dame brought 18 batters to the plate Thursday afternoon and the Hannibal senior right-hander sat all 18 down, tossing a six-inning perfect game in the Pirates’ 10-0 victory at the Veterans Field complex.

Wilson struck out only four, but he was backed by a stellar defensive effort, which included five groundouts, one lineout, five infield popouts and three flyouts. Hannibal second baseman Reid Holliday was the only fielder to not have a ball hit his direction.

Wilson threw just 63 pitches, with 44 for strikes. He is 2-0 this season with a save, nine strikeouts and just five hits allowed over 13 ⅔ innings.

A run in the bottom of the first gave Hannibal the lead, and three runs in the fifth gave Wilson a cushion. The Pirates (6-4) ended the game with a six-run sixth inning.

In the first inning, Hannibal catcher Waylon Anders walked with one out and took second on a wild pitch as Wilson was walked. After a flyout, Anders scored on an error before QND starting pitcher Abram Wiewel ended the threat with a strikeout.

In the fifth, Holliday led off with a single to left field, Graysen Crabill walked, and one out later, Anders doubled to right field to drive in a run. Wilson followed with an RBI single, and Anders scored on an error in the next at-bat.

In the sixth, the first five Pirates reached safely with Cooper Scott driving in a run as he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Anders delivering an RBI single. Wilson had an RBI sacrifice fly before Colton Dryden and Ryan Ross drove in runs with singles. Konner Asbury’s two-out RBI single to left field ended the game.

Anders, Asbury and Holliday each had two hits apiece for the Pirates. Wiewel went 4 ⅔ innings with two earned runs allowed and three hits to go with eight strikeouts and five walks. The Raiders fell to 3-7.