Experimenting in lineup does not help Cougars' baseball

Beau Green of North Putnam makes a diving catch in the Greencastle game. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

ROACHDALE -- A new Cougar outlook is what the spectators came to see Friday night at North Putnam when they hosted the Tri-West Bruins baseball team.

The defense has not played well for the Cougars (4-5 3-3 WCC) as of lately and they shifted it up, putting six players in new positions.

The transition was no help and the defense still staggered giving up 22 runs to the visiting Bruins.

"We did some experimenting with kids at different positions and it didn't work out," interim coach Art Laker said, "We had six kids play in different positions that they have never played. When you have never played the positions it takes adjustments to get used to the ball.

"Unfortunately our pitchers were having trouble keeping control of the ball."

Head coach Phil Webster was suspended for this game because he was ejected from the last game. He will resume his job Saturday morning in a double header with Lebanon.

The Cougar pitchers never could get control of the ball. Senior Coy Flynn could only pitch 1.2 innings with command issues. Nine hits, four walks and 11 runs were a sore number before throwing in sophomore Kyler Jeter.

This was Jeter's first appearance of the year.

He, like Flynn, had issues finding the strike zone consistently.

He allowed 11 runs, 10 hits and six walks before relinquishing the job to freshman Max Haste. Haste got through the inning not allowing any runs of his own.

"Flynn was having trouble finding the plate. When he did they had good hitters who hit the ball," Laker said, "Jeter had not pitched in two years. That was kind of an experiment there. We wanted to see what he could do. We wanted to save three of our normal pitchers for (Saturday) and we had one pitcher whose arm was hurting.

"We chalked this one up for experimentation and we just go from there."

North Putnam put seven runs in, but it was not nearly enough. The Bruins scored in all five innings before the ten run rule occurred and won 22-7.

With a double header coming in less than 24 hours away from this game North Putnam had to be cautious in using there resources.

"Pitching wise we had to hold back," Laker said, "We had three pitchers we absolutely didn't want to use.

We have a double header tomorrow, so we will need three possibly four pitchers for tomorrow. We had to do a little sacrificing for tonight."

TW 834 16 -- 22 19

WP: Phillip Smith (TW)

LP: Coy Flynn (NP)