North Putnam Cougars suffer first WCC loss at Monrovia

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

MONROVIA--North Putnam had solid pitching from Jake Haste and Beau Green and Kyler Badten blasted a two-run home run, but it didn't prevent the Cougars from falling to Monrovia, 5-3, in eight innings Tuesday on the Bulldogs' field.

It was the first West Central Conference loss and second of the season for the Cougars (14-2-1, 8-1 WCC), who play at North Montgomery today and host Monrovia (6-8, 4-3 WCC) in their WCC finale on Friday. North Putnam has clinched a share of the WCC title with Cloverdale.

Haste pitched four-plus innings and allowed three hits and three runs, two of them earned. The 6-foot-4 senior right-hander struck out four and walked four.

Green relieved Haste with Connor Fields on first with none out in the fifth. The junior left-hander pitched three and a third innings and allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits. He struck out four and walked one.

Monrovia's Kent Delph hit a walk-off, two-run home run off Green with one out in the bottom of the eighth.

"I thought Jake was his normal self," North Putnam coach Phil Webster said. "He gave up too many walks and the two he gave up to start innings scored. I thought Green pitched well."

Monrovia pitcher Jeremy Gray went the distance, striking out 17 and allowing seven hits. The three runs he allowed were earned and he walked three.

"Gray is a very nice pitcher," Webster said. "He has nice composure and good command. We struck out 17 times and we didn't put the ball in play. We lost our composure and our kids didn't know where the strike zone was."

North Putnam made two errors and they led to two unearned runs.

"We made one on a double play ball and it gave them a run in the fourth," Webster said. "We had a controversial walk that got it in."

Monrovia loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on a single, an error and a walk. With the count two balls, two strikes on the scoreboard, Haste's pitch to Jeremiah Welty was called a ball. The umpire said it was ball four on his counter and Welty's walked scored Monrovia's second run for a 2-0 lead.

North Putnam took a 3-2 lead in the fifth. Green led off with a walk and stole second. With two outs, Michael Herrmann drove in Green with a single. Badten followed with a two-run home run to right field.

North Putnam was without a couple unnamed regulars for some or all of the game, who didn't play for disciplinary reasons.

"I'm not disappointed with the loss," Webster said. "I'm disappointed some individuals couldn't come to practice and we didn't have a full team today."



At Monrovia
Monrovia 100 110 02--5 7 0
N. Putnam 000 030 00--8 7 2

WP: Jeremy Gray
LP: Beau Green

HR: NP--Kyler Badten, one on in the fifth; M--Kent Delph, one on in the eighth.
2B: NP--Jake Haste.

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