The Perry softball team has been plagued for most of the season with allowing the opposition to have the one ‘big inning’ it often takes to win a game.
That scenario played out in spades Thursday, as visiting Saydel sent 16 batters to the plate in the top of the third inning, with 12 Eagles scoring. Perry went quietly in their ensuing at-bat, ending the game after each team recorded just nine outs as the 12-after-3 mercy rule went into effect.
Saydel (4-8) received two singles and a double from lead-off batter Rylee Carney, with Jade Olsen hitting a home run.
Olen walked one batter, hit one with a pitch and struck out one while yielding three hits in three innings in the ring for the Eagles.
Jayna Kenney pitched 2-1/3 frames for the hosts, surrendering nine runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batsman. Peyton Tunink recorded two outs, but not before allowing three runs on two hits.
Bella Nath had a single and was plunked by a pitch, with Cassidy Heck and Kenney adding base hits while Kennedy Tunink earned a base-on-balls.
Perry will play two games today and two Saturday at the Roland-Story Kiwanis Invitational in Roland. The Friday games will be on the south diamond and Saturday’s on the north field. The Jayettes face South Hamilton at 3:30 p.m. and Class 1A No. 5 BCLUW at 7:30 p.m. today, with games against Gilbert (5:30 p.m.) and Roland-Story (7:30 p.m.) set for Saturday.
