Hensley shines in Greencastle's win

Friday, May 1, 2015
Sophomore Skyler Hensley gets eight strikeouts and only allowed one run Thursday night. (Banner Graphic/ JOHNATHON GOODE)

ROACHDALE-- The North Putnam Cougar softball team hosted the Greencastle Tiger Cubs Thursday night in a game that was made up from earlier in the season. With a late-game surge, the Tiger Cubs won 12-1.

North Putnam had won four straight going into Thursday night, including two over South Putnam before the Tiger Cubs came in and stole the show.

"It was big for our team," Tiger Cub coach Dave Keller said. "Anytime you get a win is good. But if we play well and lose, I'm okay with it right now. We're young and learning. If we play well we're going to get better and win some games. And we're winning now."

"Our girls just didn't hit the ball," Cougar coach Benny Ault said. "They (Greencastle) hit the ball and made plays and we didn't. That's all there is to it. They wanted the game more than we did."

Both pitchers, Skyler Hensley for Greencastle and Sabrina Surber for North Putnam, had issues finding the strike zone in the first four innings. They could not get a high strike from the umpire and were forced to throw the ball low. As a result there were five walks in those innings.

"Hitting wise the girls were very selective on their pitches," Keller said. "After a couple times through they started putting the bat on the ball. Sabrina is a good pitcher I've seen her for four years. She is a good pitcher, and so is Skyler. "I've coached her ever since she was six. I could see her adjust. She wasn't getting the high strike, so she went to the low strike. That is what is making us better."

"That's the bad things," Ault said. "We like the high pitches. The last few games we didn't swing at those high pitches and tonight we went right back to it. The umpire liked those low pitches. He was consistent with pitches. We've just got to learn to adjust to that."

In the third inning both teams managed to score a single run. Sophomore Regan Keller hit a single that scored Kenlee Johnson and gave Greencastle a 1-0 lead.

The Cougars responded in the bottom half with their own run because of a Morgan Albers sacrifice fly to center field that scored freshman Mia Runnells.

Hensley went hot after that third inning, earning six of her eight strikeouts and not allowing a single run.

"Skyler is a good pitcher," Ault said. "I know she's a good pitcher. You just hope by the third or fourth inning that our girls would figure her out. Sklyer knows how to get back in the count when she's down."

On the offensive side of things, the Tiger Cubs bats went hot. Three times after the lead batter got on base the second batter laid down a bunt and all three times runs were scored in the inning. Twice the runner on first went from first to third.

"We know Sabrina is a good pitcher and we knew we were going to have to play a little bit of small ball. Anytime you can get a runner in scoring position with no or one out that gives you two chances to drive them in."

Speed also helped Greencastle. There were four infield hits in the final four innings of play. Weakly hit balls left the Cougars running forward, but the Tiger Cub runners were too fast.

"Their coach got on them the first four innings because they left runners on base," Keller said. "We didn't play the smartest of ball offensively the first few innings. I said we've got to put the bat on the ball. If you don't do that things are going to haunt you. I think they got that and they said they'd start putting the bat on the ball. We made them play a little defense."

"(The Cougars) just weren't communicating," Ault said. "I think the wins that they've had, they're starting to get a big head. Tonight just didn't turn into confidence. We faced a team that bats like that and we started making the same mistakes again."

Up 6-1, Greencastle went into the final inning of play with the first at bat. Coach Keller still wanted his team to score and they did just that doubling up their run total.

Julia Mundy started the inning with a single and for the third time a sacrifice bunt was laid down by Paige Bragg. Chloe LaPierre was pitching for the Cougars at this point and she hit the next two batters to load the bases. Sophomore Grace Paul hit a bloop single to center that scored Mundy and kept the bases loaded.

Greencastle hit four more singles in the inning that scored five more runs.

Hensley allowed junior Claire Sims to walk in the bottom seventh and freshman Jada Stump to single, but other than that she struck out the three other batters to end the game.

Greencastle won both games two-game regular season series.

At North Putnam

Greencastle 001 032 6--12

North Putnam 001 000 0--1

WP: Hensley (G), LP: Surber (NP)

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