Perryman Ks 39 as Elgin beats Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge
Elgin softball coach Chad Dahlman has seen Hannah Perryman throw perfect games and no-hitters.
On Saturday at the Prairie Ridge Invitational, the Maroons’ senior didn’t get either one, but her performance was just as memorable.
Perryman struck out 20 and allowed just two bloop hits in a 9-0 victory over No. 2 Cary-Grove at Lippold Park in Crystal Lake. After the Maroons lost to Crystal Lake Central 13-7 in their middle game with Hannah’s sophomore sister Jennah resting a sore arm, Hannah came back Saturday afternoon and struck out 19 more in throwing a 1-hitter as Elgin (8-6) downed Prairie Ridge, a top Chicago area Class 3A team, 2-0.
Not bad for a day’s work — 14 innings, 39 strikeouts, 3 hits.
“In the three years I’ve been coaching here, out of all the no-hitters, the perfect games, this is the best I’ve seen her throw,” Dahlman said after the Cary-Grove game. “Against a team that is top notch in the state, wow.”
Perryman, a left-hander, struck out the first 10 batters she faced against the Trojans before Sara Markelonis hit a bloop single over the second baseman in the bottom of the fourth. After another strikeout, Lindsay Efflandt blooped another ball over the infield to put runners on second and third as Efflandt advanced to second when no one covered the base. But Perryman struck out her 12th batter to get out of the inning.
Cary-Grove had two runners on — one by an error and one by a walk — in the sixth with two outs as well before Perryman recorded her 18th strikeout.
Perryman struck out the first two batters in the seventh for her 19th and 20th strikeout. Sarah Kendeigh lined out to shortstop Bri Wright for the final out of the game.
“I’ve always had a lot of strikeouts, but this is just a really good game,” said Perryman, who said she did not know her strikeout total as she was pitching. “It was really just my curve and riseball the whole time.”
Perryman, who is heading to Missouri-St. Louis, allowed five baserunners — two on hits, two walks and one on an error.
The loss was the Trojans’ first of the season. Last season, the Maroons handed Cary-Grove its only regular-season loss.
“Our hitters are aggressive hitters,” Trojans coach Tammy Olson said. “They want to get on by hits. Hannah did a great job with her riseballs and got her calls.”
While the Trojans struggled to make contact, the Maroons got to Efflandt early. After a strikeout to open the game, Efflandt hit a batter and walked another. Kelly Bremer hit a groundball toward short, but the ball got past the shortstop and when the center fielder got to the ball she fell down, allowing Monica Stockman, Perryman and Bremer to score for a 3-0 lead.
In the second, Anna Eckholm tripled and scored on a groundout by Stockman, who went 2-for-3. The Maroons added three more runs in the third. Wright, Lissette Sanchez and Kendra Johnson each had an RBI. Bremer added an inside-the-park home run and Sanchez had a run-scoring single in the sixth for a 9-0 lead.
“I think we hit better when we see a faster pitcher,” Hannah Perryman said. “(Efflandt) is a great pitcher, but we hit her today.”
In the win over Prairie Ridge, the Maroons scored in the third and seventh. Eckholm was 3-for-4 with a double, Caroline Sobeski had a triple and Perryman drove in both runs. PR’s Kirsten Stevens struck out 11 but Elgin had 8 hits.
Eckholm suffered the pitching loss against Crystal Lake Central. The Maroons did get 12 more hits. Bremer had a double, Eckholm a triple and Jennah Perryman a double and a triple.
Cary-Grove (8-1) bounced back to win its other game (the Trojans’ game against PR was a JV game), downing CL Central 7-1. Efflandt allowed 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk in earning the win. Sarah Leudo had the big bat for C-G, going 2-for-4 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI. Kendeigh had a double, triple and RBI and Taylor Dunne was 2-for-4 with a double.
John Radtke contributed to this story