George Riley is no longer the only pitcher in city scholastic baseball history who can brag about posting a 21-strikeout game.
   The new guy, for now, has to do so in Spanish.
   Miguel "Mike" Perez, a sophomore righthander from the Dominican Republic, yesterday fanned 21 as Southern downed Alvin Swenson, 13-5, in a Public League Division C game at 12th and Bigler streets.
   There were 22 "outs" in the game. One of the strikeouts was followed by a passed ball, allowing the batter to reach base. The one non-strikeout came when a runner was tagged out at the plate after trying to advance on what would have been a wild pitch.
   Perez allowed four hits and walked none, and the Rams committed five errors.
   Riley, a lefty who also pitched for Southern (and later in the big leagues), accomplished his feat in 1974 vs. West Philadelphia. The final whiff came on a fouled-off bunt attempt.
   In 1998, Horace Furness righthander John Perinelli came within one strike of matching Riley in a no-hitter versus Southern. That game ended when Brandon Bianculli made late contact with a fastball and sent a grass-cutting grounder to first baseman Dan Pinero.
   Southern coach Eric Weinstein said Perez is enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages classes and has been in this country, he believes, for only a half-year. He estimated Perez' size at 6-foot, 230.
   "He throws hard. REALLY hard," Weinstein said. "This is his third game. He had 17 or 18 strikeouts against King and 15 against West Philly. After the second inning today, the umpire came over to me and said, 'He has found his curve, too.' "
-- Ted Silary