For five innings the Perry softball team gave Class 4A No. 2 Norwalk all the visiting Warriors could have wanted.
Then came the top of the sixth inning.
Norwalk was able to string together a hit, a Perry error and double and two walks to plate three runs and pull away for a 4-1 non-conference win at the Perry Athletic Complex Friday.
Jayette starter Emma Olejniczak was in complete command through five frames, at one point striking out seven consecutive batters.
Warrior ace Taylor Goode was just as effective, avoiding damage after Alyssa Kruger reached on a two-out error in the first and when Rachel Kinney opened the second with an infield single, with Goode striking out three straight to silence the would-be rally in the later case.
Perry was first on the board when Maddie West doubled down the right field line to open the bottom of the third. She moved to third base on a ground out and then trotted home when Johanna Diw singled back up the middle. A fielder’s choice and a grounder ended the spurt, but the hosts had the early lead.
Unfortunately that edge last all of two batters, as freshman Alyx Witt launched a one-out solo blast off the scoreboard in left-center in the Norwalk fourth the tie the game. Shelby Nelson singled one out later, but Olejniczak used a strikeout to end the inning.
Perry had chances in both the fourth and fifth to take the lead, but singles from Sidney Vancil and Diw were not converted into runs.
Norwalk took control in the sixth when Lauren Bagby singled and moved to second when Rachel Garner reached on an error while attempting to sacrifice. The Warriors used a double-steal to move the runners up, with the first of four wild pitches in the inning allowing Bagby to score. Goode’s line double off the top of the fence in left plated Garner, with courtesy runner Regan Julch eventually scoring on a wild pitch for a 4-1 Warrior lead.
Victoria Hegstrom was left stranded after hitting a one out single in the sixth, with Vancil called out on a bang-bang play at third in the seventh while trying to stretch a double into a triple.
Goode allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings for the win, striking out 10 in the process.
Olejniczak had 14 strikeouts while issuing three walks and yielding four hits. One of the four runs charged to the sophomore was unearned.
Perry is off until a trip to Carroll Wednesday, with a visit to Boone on tap for Thursday before ADM visits Friday.
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No. 2 NORWALK 4, PERRY 1
at PAC, May 29
Team R H E
NOR 000 103 0 — 4 4 1
PRY 001 000 0 — 1 7 1
NOR: Goode and Delker; PRY: Olejniczak and Huntington. WP: Goode (1-1). LP: Olejniczak (0-2). 2B — NOR: Goode; PRY: West, Vancil. HR — NOR: Witt. LOB — NOR: 4; PRY: 5.
Video courtesy of PEGASUS TV12 and volunteer Doug Wood. Check www.pegasustv12.com. for air times of full contest.
