Li Perez Strikes Out 13 in Dominant 10–0 Shutout

The sting of a 1–0 loss doesn't go away on its own. You have to earn your way out of it.

Rutgers Prep did exactly that Thursday afternoon, flipping the script in emphatic fashion with a 10–0 mercy-rule win over North Hunterdon. The Argonauts were clean, composed, and locked in from the first pitch and Li Perez made sure the scoreboard reflected it. In a five-inning gem that will be talked about for a while, Perez struck out 13 of the 15 outs he recorded. Thirteen. He walked nobody, allowed just two hits, and never once looked like he was in any kind of trouble. It was the kind of start that makes a team feel like it can do anything.

Perez knew from the jump it was going to be that kind of day. "Honestly it started in the pen," he said after the game. "I was feeling great and knew I was gonna have a game since pitch number one. My fastball felt live today and I could also locate my offspeed stuff so I was really happy about that and obviously the outcome."

While Perez was shutting the door on the mound, the offense wasted no time building him a lead. Rutgers Prep put up two in the first to get things going, then blew the game open in the second with a five-run inning that put any doubt to rest. The big blow came from Ethan Nepomuceno, who launched a three-run home run over left field to cap the rally — a swing that had everyone in the park feeling the shift. Nepomuceno finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs, one of the cleaner offensive afternoons you'll see from any player this season.

The third inning added three more as Alex Perez — Li's counterpart in what was a very good day for the Perez name — hit a home run of his own to push Rutgers Prep past the mercy rule threshold. Perez finished with two runs scored, four RBIs, and a double to go along with the long ball. North Hunterdon's pitching staff cycled through three arms trying to find stability, burning 111 pitches over four innings, but the Argonauts' lineup had simply too much going on.

13 strikeouts. 5 innings. 0 walks. 0 earned runs. Li Perez wasn't just good today — he was untouchable.

For a North Hunterdon team sitting at 15-6, this was a tough afternoon — but they came in facing a pitcher who was simply on a different level today. Sometimes that's just baseball.

For Rutgers Prep, this was about more than the win. After a deflating 1–0 defeat just days ago, the way they came out and responded said a lot about who this group is. The Argonauts are now 12-3 overall and 7-2 in Skyland-Raritan play, and the way they're playing right now, they look very much like a team that's building toward something.

Li Perez made that point clear when asked about the vibe in the clubhouse this season. "The vibes have been through the roof with this group of guys," he said. "If you take a chance to get to know us as a team you'd come to find that we're all more like a big family. I think our success on the field has really just been a product of the constant support we show one another and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has for us."

Tournament play is next on the horizon — and if today was any indication of how the Argonauts plan to show up when the stakes get higher, opposing teams should take note. "We've had success during conference play and we've showed that with our record," Perez said. "I'm just itching to bring that dog that our team has to bigger games. We have big upcoming weeks and I can't wait to see how we'll perform."

The hunger is real. The record backs it up. And after a performance like today's, the Argonauts are exactly the kind of team you don't want to see in a bracket.