Perry Dominates in Run-Rule Win for Drury
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Olivia Perry was dominant in the circle, and the Drury softball team was patient on offense to earn a 20-1 win over Chicopee Comprehensive on Wednesday.
Perry struck out 12, walked none and did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fifth in the complete-game, five-inning win.
The Blue Devils worked 12 walks to go along with eight hits in winning their third straight game.
Perry retired the first eight hitters she faced on swinging strikes and had nine Ks against the first 11 batters she faced.
She did not even face a three-ball count until there were two out in the bottom of the fifth.
Comp broke up Perry’s perfect game bid on a swinging bunt up the third base line by Ari Chagnon with one out in the fifth.
“She was throwing awesome today,” Drury coach Michell Darling said of Perry. “I couldn’t be happier for her.”
Perry had not allowed a ball out of the infield through four innings but then had to wait out a 10-run Drury fourth that saw eight batters walk and a pitching change for the Colts.
“It might have been [a factor],” in Perry’s performance in the fifth, Darling said. “She was on fire. She had a lot going for her into that inning. Maybe the long wait affected her.”
Chagnon stole second for the Colts and came home when Ariana Skwira lined a single to center field to avoid the shutout.
Drury’s offense was kick-started in the second inning when Jaylee Moran was hit by a pitch and Ava Cariddi drew a walk to start the inning.
No. 8 hitter Jenna Clay then doubled in the game’s first run, and Emily Lyons singled to left to drive in a pair and take third on the throw home with nobody out.
Clay came home when Maddie Saudners reached on an error, Sloan Brothers (2-for-2, five RBIs) hit a sacrifice fly to score Saunders and make it 5-0.
Perry (2-for-4) doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Norah Wood’s single to give Drury a 6-0 lead.
The Blue Devils added four in the third, when Brothers’ hit a three-run double, setting the stage for the fourth, when 14 Drury batters went to the plate.
“Up and down the lineup really hit today,” Darling said. “I enjoyed that. We fixed a couple of things with a couple of kids. They’ve been working really hard, and it paid off.”
The schedule also is paying dividends for Drury (3-4), which started the year 0-4 playing the likes of Lenox and Pittsfield.
“The tougher games we had early on help us building into the second half of our season,” Darling said. “When you’re playing the Pittsfields and those people, it helps us work on the little things.”
Drury finishes a home-and-home with Chicopee Comp on Friday.