Senior Alyssa Kruger was masterful off the rubber Tuesday, limiting Greene County to a pair of harmless singles and facing only one-batter over the minimum as Perry scored a 4-0 win in non-conference softball at the Perry Athletic Complex.
Kruger allowed a lead off single to Megan Carey to open the game, but then retired 18 consecutive batters, with only one ball — a fly out to Grace Stewart in left field by Laurin Lyons in the sixth — leaving the infield.
Carmyn Paup started the top of the seventh for the Rams with a clean single. Jenna Beyers, hitting next, hit a hard two-hopper near second base that was scooped by Jayette shortstop Jo Diw, who stepped on the bag to force Paul and fired a laser to Adriana Eastman at first base to finish the double play.
Kruger ended the game with her sixth strikeout, having faced just 22 batters.
Perry (2-6) had no cashed in on singles from Diw in the first or Sid Vancil in the third, with a lead-off walk to Eastman in the second also left unused.
The Jayettes finally gave Kruger some aid in the fifth, with Jayna Kenney starting the rally with a one-out hit. Diw was intentionally walked, but Vancil made the move backfire with a ringing double down the line in left field that scored Kenney and Diw, who raced all the way from first to slide home, with Vancil taking third on the throw.
Kruger helped herself with a ringing double to make it 3-0, with Gabby West singling home courtesy runner Peyton Tunink as the score moved to 4-0.
That chased Ram starter Samantha Hardaway, who was charged with four runs on six hits and two walks in 4-2/3 innings.
Beyers moved into the circle in relief and got out of the fifth without further damage by inducing a line-out after walking Eastman.
Kenney singled again in the sixth, but was doubled off on a line drive, stopping the hosts from adding to their margin.
Perry hosts Bondurant-Farrar tonight and will travel to Ballard Thursday.
