Perry Central softball rolls past Breathitt County, 12-2 in six innings

Perry Central kept pressing from the first inning and never let Breathitt County breathe, turning a fast start into a 12-2 non-conference win in six innings at East Perry County Elementary School in Hazard.

The Commodores set the tone immediately when leadoff hitter Olivia Robinson was hit by a pitch, then Jossie Mullins and Averie Ratliff drew walks to load the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first. That opening jam helped Perry Central seize control early, and the Bobcats never recovered as the Commodores kept stacking runs and stretching the margin to the shortened-game finish.

J. Mullins controlled the circle as well as Perry Central controlled the scoreboard. She worked all six innings, allowing one earned run and one unearned run on five hits while striking out eight. That kind of outing gave Perry Central the stability it needed behind an offense that kept producing, and it fit the profile of a team that has been winning with both power and depth.

Perry Central got a lift from M. Fugate, who hit her first home run of the season, and A. Ratliff continued to set the pace at the plate. Ratliff finished 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, part of an attack that produced a .514 on-base percentage for the game. Perry Central has now won 13 games by more than five runs this season, a sign that its best performances have not just been close calls but complete, lopsided finishes.

The win also completed a season sweep of Breathitt County. Perry Central had beaten the Bobcats 8-4 in the earlier meeting on April 16, and Monday’s result pushed the Commodores to 22-12 while Breathitt County fell to 16-7. For Perry Central, the numbers point to a team peaking at the right time: A. Ratliff entered as the team leader in batting average and on-base percentage, M. Shepherd led the club with seven home runs, and J. Mullins’ 12 wins and 3.40 ERA have anchored the staff.