Perry Central’s Mikayla Shepherd tags up on first for a base hit Monday evening against Breathitt County.
Hazard Herald photo by Randy White
HAZARD — Perry Central pulled away to beat Breathitt County 12-2 in six innings in a non-district high school softball game on Monday, May 11.
Perry Central got going in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Olivia Robinson was hit-by-a-pitch and then, Jossie Mullins and Averie Ratliff reached on walks to load the bases without any outs.
Mikayla Shepherd followed with a shot to center. She tried her best to clear the bases, but came up just short as she hit into a sacrifice fly RBI to give the Lady Commodores a 1-0 lead.
McKenna Fugate followed with a walk to load the bases once again. With the bases loaded and one out, Madison Stacy delivered a two RBI singe to push the lead to 3-0.
Perry Central kept the pressure on in the bottom of the second. With one out, Robinson walked. With two outs, Ratliff hit a shot to dead center field. The ball popped out of the Breathitt County centerfielder’s glove as Robinson scored to push the lead to 4-0.
Breathitt County’s Chloey Hayes got the Lady Bobcats on the score board in top of the fourth. She delivered a two RBI single to cut the lead to 4-2.
The Lady Commodores answered in the home half of the inning, though. With one out, Mullins singled. Ratliff followed with a single and Mikayla Shepherd came through with an RBI single to push the lead to 5-2.
With two on and one out in the bottom of the fifth, Godsey laid down a bunt and reached on an error. The error allowed all three runs to score and push the lead to 8-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fugate homered for the Lady Commodores to push the lead to 10-2.
Neace followed with a double and Watts hit a ground out RBI to push the lead to 11-2. Godsey added a single.
Robinson ended things in the sixth with a walk-off RBI single.
Perry Central pulled out the 12-2 win in six innings.
The Lady Commodores improved to 22-11 after posting the win.
Perry Central scored first and never trailed. The Lady Commodores led 4-0 at the conclusion of the second inning.
Perry Central finished strong, manufacturing eight runs over its last three at bats.
Jossie Mullins pitched for Perry Central and earned the win in the circle. Mullins recorded eight strikeouts.
Raelan Back pitched for Breathitt County and absorbed the loss in the circle. Back struck out one Perry Central batter.
Perry Central scored 12 runs on 11 hits. Mullins (one hit), Mikayla Shepherd (two hits, two RBIs), Averie Ratliff (two hits, one RBI), McKenna Fugate (one hit, two RBIs), Madison Stacy (one hit, two RBIs), Olivia Robinson (one hit, one RBI), Halee Watts (one hit, one RBI), Haeli Neace (one hit) and Zoey Godsey (one RBI) each produced offensively for the Lady Commodores. Both Ratliff and Neace doubled while Watts tripled. Providing a lift at the plate, Fugate homered.
Breathitt County plated two runs on five hits. Hayes (two hits, one RBI), Mahala Bowling (two hits) and Alexis Pelfrey (one hit) accounted for Breathitt County’s offense.
Perry Central defeated Breathitt County for the second time in the 2026 high school softball season.