BONDURANT — Class 4A No. 7 Perry rallied from a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh to post a 4-2 win over Bondurant-Farrar in Raccoon River Conference softball Wednesday.
The Perry lineup was juggled somewhat by having Gabby West pressed into catching duties as starting backstop Brooke Huntington was feeling the effects of a foul tip off the mask in Tuesday’s game at Greene County. That forced West behind the plate, with Grace Stewart inserted into left field and Adriana Eastman into the lineup as a designated hitter.
The move paid dividends, with Eastman doubling home a run while West drew three walks from the nine-spot in the lineup to keep bringing the top of the order to the plate.
Perry senior ace Emma Olejniczak allowed a run in the fifth and again in the seventh. She walked one batter and allowed five hits while striking out 12, raising her career total to 996. She can reach the 1,000k milestone tonight when Perry hosts Ballard.
Trailing 1-0, the Jayettes (9-3, 4-2) rallied in the sixth when Olejniczak reached on a fielder’s choice and Maddie West singled. Eastman’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, from where both scored when T.J. Sheehy laced a double into right center.
Gabby West walked to continue the inning, with lead-off hitter Jo Diw providing a run-scoring single for a 3-1 Perry lead.
Alyssa Kruger and Olejniczak drew walks in the seventh, with Eastman’s RBI-double scoring Kruger for a 4-1 Jayette advantage.
B-F scored once in the seventh but could not complete the comeback as Perry held on for the victory.
Diw finished with two hits, with Maddie West adding a double to her sixth-inning single.
Perry hosts Ballard tonight and will play twice Friday and twice again Saturday at the W-G Classic.