The John Paul II varsity baseball team was in town on Monday night to take on the JHS Trojans and the teams battled seven full innings with the visitors capturing a 9-4 win with their bats.

“I am real pleased at our progress. We can play a lot better and we will, but I can see us moving in the right direction,” said Trojan head coach Tom Carrera.

The Centurions outhit the Trojans 13 to 7 and a late three-run home run to dead center field by Joey Perez broke open a close 6-4 ball game.

The visitors scored twice in the top of the first to get on the scoreboard first but the Trojans answered quickly with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning. The Beeville runs came courtesy of a two-run home run that cleared the right field fence off the bat of Jacob Gomez.

The big swing brought in Brody Benavidez, who had walked earlier in the inning.

The teams went scoreless in the second but the Centurions picked up three runs in the top of the third on three hits and a hit batsman. The visitors were up 5-2 and seemingly in control of the game.

A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth proved costly to the Trojans as the runner came around to score on a tough chance on a liner in right field that got by Jesse De Los Santos.

The line drive had plenty of movement on it and was helped by a crossing gale of 25-30 mph. The ball skipped at the feet of De Los Santos and got behind him.

The Trojan right fielder handled several other tough chances in right, battling the wind all night.

The Trojans got two runs back in the fifth with Benavidez reaching on an infield hit to get things started. Spencer Finch powered a double to left that put runners at second and third with just one out. Jacob Gomez singled in a run and then Finch scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Jared Carrillo.

The scoreboard then had the Centurions in front by just two, 6-4, with a couple of innings yet to be played.

The sixth inning went by scoreless. The Trojans threatened but a good defensive play at third kept the Beeville boys from scoring.

Perez put the game away in the top of the seventh with his blast to center and the Trojans could not answer in their final at bats.

The Trojan varsity team will compete in the Bishop tournament this weekend and then open District 30-4A play on Tuesday with a home date at Joe Hunter Field against the Gregory-Portland Wildcats at 7 p.m.