PREP ROUNDUP: Eagles edge Cubs in softball; Clovers get big win over Vikings

Friday, May 18, 2018

The South Putnam Eagles and Greencastle Tiger Cubs had a preview game of next week’s Class 2A Sectional 44 opener on Thursday night.

The two teams gave the crowd an exciting game for the second time this year, as the Eagles won 3-1. The two teams played a one-run game earlier in the year, which was also won by the Eagles.

South’s Brionna Egold held the Tiger Cubs to just one run on five hits as she went the distance to improve the Eagles’ record to 11-10, while Greencastle fell to 7-14 on the season.

Egold struck out five and allowed no earned runs, while helping herself out at the plate with a pair of singles.

Her defense came to her aid repeatedly during the game as the Eagles only had three errors in the game and only one after the first inning.

“We got a well-pitched game today. We had some timely hits, but the key was our defense tonight. We have been up and down all year and tonight we played a really good game defensively,” South Putnam head coach Jamie Steffy said.

South opened the scoring in the top of the first with Helen Eaglin scoring on a Grace Carr single to right. Greencastle answered right back as Mackenzie Woodall scored on a ground out by Kenzie Horton.

For as well as Egold pitched, Julia Mundy was matching her as neither team could score over the next three innings.

The Eagles finally scratched out a run in the top of the fifth as Eaglin scored again, this time on a single by Alex Steffy.

The Eagles added an insurance run in the seventh as Eaglin scored her third run of the game on a passed ball.

“Julia Mundy is one of the best pitchers we will face all year. She was throwing well, but we were able to get a few timely hits,” Steffy said.

Mundy gave up nine hits, but recorded 14 strikeouts in taking the loss. Neither Mundy nor Egold gave up an extra-base hit.

“Julia kept us in the game, but you can’t win if you don’t get some hits. We just couldn’t get enough hits. I don’t know if it’s mental or what,” Greencastle coach Tabatha Briones said.

The two teams will square off again on Monday in the sectional opener.

South Putnam 100 010 1 — 3 9 3

Greencastle 100 000 0 — 1 5 3

WP — Egold, LP — Mundy

In other softball:

North Putnam 10, North Montgomery 2 — The Cougars wrapped up their regular-season schedule with a big win over the visiting Chargers.

Dana Tennis hit a two-run double in the second inning to give the Cougars the lead for good.

In the third inning, Jada Stump and Chloe LaPierre had back-to-back doubles to provide two more runs. Olivia Haste had also doubled and scored on Stump’s hit.

In the fifth inning, the Cougars pushed across three more runs. Mia Runnells doubled and scored on a two-base error, Olivia Haste singled and Stump reached on an error, with both runners scoring on wild pitches.

The Cougars added three more runs in the sixth as Bradi Gierke and Kaleigh Storm singled and Runnells brought both of them home with a triple. Runnells scored on an error.

Haylee Cox was the winning pitcher for the Cougars, allowing just four hits and one earned run. She struck out six batters.

Haste had three hits, including a double, and scored two runs. Runnells had a double and a triple and drove home two runs. Tennis also had two RBI.

North Montgomery 100 000 1 — 2 4 5

North Putnam 022 033 x — 10 11 2

WP — Cox. LP — Hayes.

Cloverdale 5, West Vigo 1 — The Clovers also closed out their regular season with a win, finishing with a 16-5 mark going into sectional play.

They won their 13th straight game, and 14th in the last 15, after falling behind 1-0 at the game’s midway point but getting five runs over the next three innings.

”We beat a very good West Vigo team,” Clover coach Jim Spencer said. “Macie Couch only threw 75 pitches with no walks and let her defense make plays behind her.”

Morgan Goss was 4-4 with a home run and Kiley Shedron had two singles and picked up the 100th RBI of her career on senior night.

Hannah Long had two singles, while Couch and Autumn Lewellen each had a single and an RBI and Sky Lowe and Makenzie Allen each hit a double.

“This was a very good all around game as we concluded the regular season careers of seniors Dinah Bunch, Long and Shedron,” Spencer said.

The Clovers will play defending sectional champion South Vermillion at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Greencastle Sectional.

West Vigo 000 100 0 — 1 5 2

Cloverdale 000 212 x — 5 12 1

WP — Bunch.

Golf

Greencastle 158, Owen Valley 177 — Jake Bennett and Jaxon Parmley each had a 39 to share medalist honors as the Cubs defeated the Patriots.

Conner Taylor and Benton Parmley each shot a 40, while Blaise Hasty had a 43, Kyle Tesmer had a 45 and Josh Bomgardner added a 50.

“The weather was very pleasant and the course in good condition as the two teams played a WIC contest,” Greencastle coach Steve Paquin said. “Jake and Jaxon both hit many good shots, but had trouble getting putts to drop as the greens were a little slower than usual.”

Paquin noted the match was the first time at Tiger Pointe to play summer rules this season.

“All the players from both teams found that preferred lies make scoring easier than playing the ball as it lies,” he said. “This is excellent practice for future matches and sectional as that is how the ball must be played.

“The rough was thick and deep which also caused misplays by everyone,” Paquin added. “The more they play summer rules the easier it will become to strike the ball solidly and be able to score better.

The Cubs will play Cascade and Monrovia at Tiger Pointe on Wednesday.

In other golf:

Cloverdale 182, Turkey Run 187 — Cloverdale’s Drew Boyette won medalist honors with a 38 as the Clovers beat the Warriors.

Michael Holsapple added a 47 for the winners, while Tyler Harrison had a 48, Wyatt Helterbrand had a 49, Jason Miller had a 50 and Cody Morris shot a 63,

“Drew had an excellent round,” Clover coach Doug Wokoun said. “His play has been very good of late, and he did not suffer any misfortunes in this round. If he gets a good start, he always has a really good round, and he got a very good start in this one. Michael had one bad hole and otherwise played a pretty good round. He is beginning to establish some consistency and we really need that right now.”

Wokoun noted other players had some good moments.

“Tyler finally avoided any major breakdowns and was excited to get his score heading in the right direction,” he said. “He still has strokes to eliminate, but avoiding a big breakdown was hopefully a turning point for him. Wyatt struggled a little with putting, but otherwise did some good things. He also is trending in a positive direction right now and needs to keep building on that. Jason had two bad holes, but otherwise was pretty good. He just has to avoid those situations whenever possible.

Cloverdale (9-8) plays Owen Valley and Sullivan Wednesday at Sullivan Elks.

Baseball

Greencastle 8, North Putnam 5 — The Cubs recorded their second straight win over the Cougars on Thursday, breaking open a 5-5 tie with three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Greencastle got an RBI singles from Nick Sutherlin in the first inning and added other runs on a passed ball and an error.

North Putnam roared back with four runs in the second, scoring two runs on passed balls, one on a groundout and one on an error.

The Cubs got two in the second, as Jordan Meyer was hit by a pitch and came around to score on an error. Jacob Harris later scored when Ethan Maier walked with the bases loaded.

The Cougars got one in the third to tie the game as Kolton Thorson reached on an error, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and came home on a Layne Lucas single.

Greencastle’s game-winning rally saw Brody Whitaker single and Sutherlin to walk, and Gus Manion bringing them home with a double. Manion stole third and came home on an error.

Lucas had two hits for the Cougars, while Harris and Whitaker each had two for Greencastle.

Seven North Putnam errors led to five unearned runs for the Tiger Cubs.

North Putnam 041 000 0 — 5 4 7

Greencastle 320 030 x — 8 6 3

WP — Sanders. LP — Rudes.

Edgewood 14, South Putnam 10 — At Ellettsville, the hosts led 8-0 after two innings but the Eagles were able to get back in the game.

Aiden LeBlanc had a double and a single with an RBI for the Eagles, while Tanner Pistelli had two singles and two RBI and Jackson Wood had a single and two RBI.

South Putnam 006 220 0 — 10 10 6

Edgewood 533 201 x — 14 14 4

WP - Cowden. LP — Croan.