PERRY TOWNSHIP —  In a contest that looked like it was going to be a long evening for the Jefferson Lady Wildcats softball team turned into quite a contest.

After yielding four unearned runs in the first inning, the ’Cats settled down but fell just short in their comeback attempt in a 4-2 loss to the Perry Lady Commodores Wednesday night at Perry High School.

Perry’s Megan Patton fanned 15 batters in the competition, while going 2-for-3 from the plate with a single and a double and two RBIs.

She outdueled Jefferson’s Brooke Apple (0-2), who despite a 3-hitter, fell victim to four unearned runs in the first frame. A spectacular diving catch in right field by Courtnie Rostorfer kept the hosts from causing further damage.

Jenna Miller was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate (2 runs scored) with a double and two singles. Alexis Ricker added a pair of doubles for the visitors and Hope Bowman a 3-for-4 night with a double.

The aforementioned Miller scored in the fourth inning on a wild pitch to make it a 4-1 contest.

A pair of doubles by Miller and Ricker in the sixth inning brought the visitors to within two.

Things were looking good for Jefferson in the seventh when Hope Bowman doubled with one out and moved to third on an Apple sacrifice but the comeback attempt was snuffed out when Shauna Bowers was thrown out on a “controversial” call on a throw from the leftfielder to first.

Jefferson falls to 0-5 on the season with the loss, while the Commodores improve to 4-2.

Jefferson is at Paulding tonight.

Jefferson  0 0 0    1 0 1      0 - 2   8   4

Perry       4 0 0     0 0 0     x - 4   3  1

WP: Patten (4-2); LP: Apple (0-2). 2B: Ricker 2 (DJ), Bowman (DJ). HB: Apple, Patten