Cougars top Eagles 16-15 in softball shootout

ROACHDALE – North Putnam pushed three runs across the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull out a 16-15 win over South Putnam on Tuesday evening in high school softball action.

The game was a preview of Saturday’s matchup in the second game of the Putnam County tournament.

South Putnam led 8-0 after three innings, getting seven runs in the top of the first, before the Cougars started their comeback effort with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

South Putnam added another run in the top of the fifth to go up 9-3, before the Cougars tied the score with six runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.

Each team produced four runs over the final two innings of regulation, with the Eagles taking a 15-13 lead with two in the top of the eighth before the Cougars put the game away in the bottom of the inning.

Chloe LaPierre had three hits and scored four runs for North Putnam, including a home run, while Jada Stump had a single, home run, two runs scored and five RBI. Olivia Haste added two singles and a double with two runs scored, while Baylee Osburn had two hits and three RBI.

Dana Tennis and Skylar Clifford each added two singles.

South Putnam was led at the plate by Regan Keller with a single, two doubles and four RBI. Drew Bratcher added a home run and a single, while Savannah McIntosh had two singles and two RBI, Grace Carr had two double and an RBI and Helen Eaglin had three singles, a double and two RBI.

Bradi Gierke went the distance on the mound for North Putnam to pick up the win.

South Putnam 710 012 22 – 15 16 5

North Putnam 000 363 13 – 16 17 7

WP – Gierke.

In other softball:

• Tri-West 13, Greencastle 1 – On Saturday, the Tiger Cubs opened their season with a loss to the Bruins.

“Our score did not represent our ability,” Greencastle coach Tabatha Briones said. “We had too many fielding errors, and we hadn’t played in the dirt for over a week [due to rain].”

Briones is hoping her team will make the necessary adjustments this week in preparation for the county tournament.

“Offensively we made contact, and I see a lot of hitting potential,” she said. “Julia Mundy pitched a great game and Grace Paul controlled runners behind the plate.”

Golf

• Nichols leads Clovers – At Brazil, Zach Nichols paced Cloverdale with an 86 as the Clovers placed ninth on Saturday in the Northview Invitational.

Drew Boyette added an 89 for the Clovers, while Zarek Wellington shot a 100, Tyler Harrison had a 105 and Wyatt Helterbrand had a 119.

“For a first time out, I thought our guys did a pretty good job,” Clover coach Doug Wokoun said. “Getting outside to get course work has been frustrating at times this spring, but we did a lot of good things. We left quite a few strokes on the course, but much of the mistakes are correctable.”

Wokoun thought both Nichols and Boyette had good front nine score, but “faded a little” on the back side.

“Zarek had some good holes on both sides, but found some difficulties that made several holes higher than we would like,” he said. “Tyler had a stretch where he lost some confidence and took some penalties, but he bounced back on the last few holes. Wyatt’s score does not indicate it, but he has made great progress from his freshman year, and his score is probably the most deceiving.”

Wokoun expects his team to work on its deficiencies and improve as the season goes along.

“We were very pleased to have a great day to play, and I think that we have an eagerness that will lead to good things,” he said. “Our guys know that they have to improve some things, but they all did enough things right to make all of us think that we will see some good progress. Our biggest concern this week is weather, as both days we have matches are predicted to be wet. We really need to play, both matches and practice, to get things corrected.”

Team scores: Terre Haute South 313, Terre Haute North 326, Cascade 344, Greencastle 345, Northview 345, Clay City 352, West Vigo 366, Edgewood 372, Cloverdale 380, South Vermillion 382, Sullivan 385, Turkey Run 385, Linton 398.

Tennis

• Sullivan 4, South Putnam 1 – At Sullivan, the Eagles dropped a match to the Golden Arrows on Saturday.

Meredith Trump had the lone victory for the Eagles at No. 2 singles, while Kayla Hubbard took her match into three sets at No. 3 singles.

Singles – 1. Burkhart (S) def. Clifford (SP) 6-1, 6-2; 2. Trump (SP) def. Gentry (S) 6-4, 7-5; 3. Greggs (S) def. Hubbard (SP) 4-6, 7-6, 6-2.

Doubles – 1. Russell-Willis (S) def. Weiland-Willams (SP) 6-2, 6-1; 2. Sharp-Lueking (S) def. Ladd-Blaydes (SP) 7-5, 6-3.

JV singles – Arnett (S) def. Maggart (SP) 8-5; Alsman (S) def. Von Rensselaer (SP) 8-2; Rickard (S) def. Wells (SP) 8-4; Smith (S) def. Von Rensselaer 6-4.

JV doubles – Gerig-Monahan (S) def. Teipen-Wells (SP) 8-3; Cesinger-Trowbridge (S) def. Dixon-Hendrickson (SP) 8-4; Atkinson-Vijil (S) def. Wells-Maggart (SP) 8-4; Wells-Teipen (SP) def. Wilkins-Clark (S) 6-4.