A pitcher who did not feel good pitched lights out. A power hitter who set the table rather than drive in runs. And a cleanup hitter that delivered what her role requires.

Perry used those contributions Friday to put a stranglehold on the lead in the 5A East Valley Region softball race by defeating Skyline, 6-0, at Skyline High School.

"Our goal coming out this season was to win a region title," Perry coach Allison Robinson said. "We won the region last year, but this year we had the expectation."

Perry improved to 21-6 overall, 8-1 in region and now leads Skyline by 1 1/2 games with three to play. Perry also swept the two-game season series and holds that tiebreaker.

Winning pitcher Jessica Wilkinson allowed just four hits and and struck out eight. She didn't feel well before the game and Robinson knew it.

"She had a stomach bug, but I knew if I asked her about it she'd still want the ball," Robinson said. "She did a great job and we played good defense behind her."

Perry's Mandi Grebe, who has been hitting in the No. 3 hole of late and usually drives in runs, got things started in the first with a two-out triple and later scored in the inning providing the only run Wilkinson would need.

Grebe also singled to help set up a two-run rally in the third when cleanup hitter Toni Martinez lined a two-RBI single for her second and third RBIs of the game. Martinez added her fourth RBI in the seventh to complete a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Skyline (14-11-1, 7-3) was playing the game dressed in pink for cancer awareness. The Coyotes didn't have many offensive opportunites and when they did in with two on and two outs in the sixth, Grebe took an extra-base hit away from Marlee Roberts with a running, sprawling catch in right centerfield.

"They played good," Skyline coach Jim Faul said. "We weren't as focused as we should have been for a big game. It was a big game, not the big game yet. Still, you want to play better in a game like this than we did."