The scorebook can be cruel.
A bright sun — with which first baseman, second baseman and right fielders must contend during evening games at PAC — likely contributed to three Perry and one Carlisle error during their Raccoon River Conference softball meeting Monday.
The difference in the outcome is that the Wildcats (6-6, 2-2) had more four more hits than their hosts, finished 9-for-9 on stolen bases and, unlike the Jayettes (7-3, 3-2) did not commit the cardinal sin of making outs at third base, which the home team did three times.
The result was an 11-5 Carlisle win to start a stretch of eight games in six days for Perry.
Two Jayette errors surrounded a single to start the first inning, with one run scoring, and then two others crossing the plate on a Kennedy Peterson base hit.
Perry responded in their first at-bat. Jo Diw singled, moved up on a Sid Vancil sacrifice bunt, then scored on a fielder’s choice after a walk when Rachel Kinney grounded to second base. The flip to second to retire Alyssa Kruger was booted, but Kruger was then throw out trying to reach third on the error.
Three singles and a Perry error led to three more Carlisle runs in the third, but the hosts cut the 6-1 margin to 6-3 in the bottom of the frame. Diw reached on a two-base outfield error, scoring on a Vancil single, with Vancil speeding home from first on a Kruger double to account for the rally. Kinney walked to put runners on first and second, but Kruger was thrown out at third on a missed bunt.
Perry made little noise in the fourth or sixth but squandered singles from Diw and Vancil in the fifth, with Diw thrown out at third base for the second out of the fifth, with a pop-out quelling any rally.
Carlisle had scored their seventh run — and fifth and final unearned tally — in the fourth before adding a single mark in the fifth to open an 8-3 lead. Two singles and a Taylor Dubois triple on a misplayed ball to left field allowed the last three Carlisle runs of the game to cross the plate in the sixth inning.
The Wildcats scored four of their runs on suicide sacrifices, trading an out for a run, a strategy that, combined with aggressive base running, helped pressure the Jayette defense.
Adriana Eastman reached on an error and eventually scored in the bottom of the seventh on a Vancil ground out, with Diw walking and scoring off a Wildcat error.
Emma Olejniczak was roughed up for nine hits and 11 runs (six earned) in seven frames. She struck out eight and walked one.
Wildcat pitcher Molly Hoekstra allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out two.
Perry’s full slate continues tonight with a non-conference trip to Greene County, with a visit to RRC foe Bondurant-Farrar on tap for Wednesday before league opponent Ballard visits the PAC Thursday. The Jayettes will then play twice Friday and twice again Saturday at the Woodward-Granger Classic.
