Bumgardner's homer not enough as Eagles fall to South Vermillion 11-4

South Putnam senior Justin Bumgardner spears a line drive in center field. Bumgardner hit a home run against South Vermillion on Friday. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

South Putnam got off to a great start and had a strong finish Friday night against South Vermillion. But in between the visiting Wildcats shut down the Eagles offense and teed off on three pitchers to win the high school baseball game 11-4.

The loss dropped South Putnam to 0-3 going into Saturday's home game with North Central.

The game was much closer than the final score. South Vermillion broke the game open with six runs in the top of the seventh inning.

"It was kind of a weird game. We got off to a hot start, we hit the ball well in the first inning and then I felt like we got away from that the next five or six innings," South Putnam coach Zack Love said.

South Putnam jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but after South Vermillion turned a double play in the second inning, the Eagles couldn't touch the Wildcats' Jordan Branz for the next 4 1/3 innings.

Branz retired 13 straight Eagles before junior Wyatt Nees singled with one out in the seventh to snap the string.

"It was a tight game. South Putnam has got a good team and that's the one you got to stay with to win and they did," South Vermillion coach Tim Terry said.

The Eagles managed just five hits, led by Nees with a single and double. Senior Justin Bumgardner belted a two-run homer in the seventh.

South Putnam took a 2-0 lead in the first on hits by Grady McHugh, Tyler Long and Nees and South Vermillion's only error of the game.

The lead held up until the third inning when South Vermillion tied the score 2-2. The Wildcats took the lead for good with one run in the fifth inning, then scored twice in the sixth for a 5-2 lead.

Down 11-2 and just three outs away from their third straight loss, the Eagles put together a rally in the seventh. Nees singled and one out later Bumgardner belted the home run.

"I'm proud of [the Eagles] because I feel like we've taken some lumps this year so far, but they've kept their heads up. Honestly, it was an 11-4 final, but I felt like it was a closer game than that for the majority of it. I feel like we're a couple of hits here and there away from a totally different ball game," Love said.

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