Perkins’ Ninth-Inning Blast Lifts Bandits Past Giants 10-7 - Playoff Hopes Alive

BRISBANE, Australia — Robbie Perkins capped a six-RBI night with a three-run homer in the ninth inning as the Brisbane Bandits (14-19) rallied past the Adelaide Giants (15-17) 10-7 on Friday night at Viticon Stadium.

Brisbane erased a four-run deficit with a four-run seventh and then broke a seven-all tie in the ninth when Perkins drove a 3-2 pitch from Todd Van Steensel over the right-center-field wall to walk off the game. The blast was Perkins’ second home run of the game and his ninth of the season.

Adelaide jumped ahead early behind a two-run homer from Jose Colmenares in the second and added two more runs in the fourth on a Manolfi Jimenez RBI single and a Nick Ward sacrifice fly. The Giants extended the lead to 7-3 in the fifth, capitalizing on a throwing error by catcher Robbie Perkins that allowed three runs to score on a Jimenez sacrifice fly.

Brisbane answered in the bottom of the fourth when Perkins hit a two-run homer off Adenson Verastegui to pull the Bandits within 4-3. After being held scoreless in the fifth and sixth, Brisbane mounted its comeback in the seventh.

Kyosuke Mashiko’s pinch-hit single brought home Dermot Fritsch, with an error on the play allowing another base. Rixon Wingrove followed with a sacrifice fly, and Perkins singled to drive in another run. Logan Wade tied the game with an RBI double to left, capping a four-run inning. The hit solidified his spot for third most career hits (374) in the Modern ABL Era, moving him past Darryl George.

Tyler Jeans (2-0) earned the win with a scoreless ninth, striking out one. Van Steensel (2-2) took the loss after allowing three runs without recording an out.

Perkins finished 3 for 5 with two homers and six RBIs. Wingrove drove in two runs, and Mashiko went 2 for 2 with two runs scored off the bench. Kolby Kiser allowed four runs in three innings for Brisbane, while Sam Holland worked 3 2/3 innings of relief, giving up three runs, one earned.

For Adelaide, Colmenares went 1 for 4 with a two-run homer – extending his home run streak to three straight games with six home runs – and Jimenez drove in two runs. Verastegui allowed three runs, two earned, in four innings.

The win keeps the Bandits playoff hopes alive as they look to take a sweep in tomorrow’s doubleheader against the Giants. Fans can catch all the action on Baseball+ while fans in Japan and Taiwan can tune in to DAZN Japan.