South Putnam honors '12 champions, powers past Northview

The South Putnam Eagle softball team exploded late in the game and got a solid pitching outing from Sabrina Leonard to pick up a victory in Western Indiana Conference action against the Northview Knights. The Eagles broke open a tight game with a six-run sixth inning and used some sterling defense late in the game to get the 10-5 victory.

The Eagles rallied from a 5-4 deficit after five innings to improve to 8-10 on the season and 3-4 in conference play. The loss dropped the Knights to 5-11 and an identical 3-4 in the WIC.

The Eagles took an early lead in the bottom of the first. Danae Cline led off with a walk and Joscelyn Pilcher reached on a bunt hit. Jaicee Jackson brought the runners home with a single to the fence in centerfield. The Eagles would lead 2-0 after two innings as Leonard kept the Knights hitless in the first two stanzas.

The Knights would rally in the third though. Callie Shepard led off with a single and scored on a double by Mianah Thompson. Thompson would then score on a Kaylyn Rhea infield single as the Eagles would give up an error and dropped foul ball led to another Knight run for a Northview 3-2 lead.

The Eagles didn’t allow the lead to last long. Pilcher reached after getting hit by a pitch. Ariel Dooley singled and then Leonard helped her cause with a two-run double to allow South to re-take the lead 4-3 after three innings.

Northview would use small ball to retake the lead in the top of the fourth inning. A bunt single by Olivia Core and a single by Shepard opened the inning. Core would score on a sacrifice bunt by Tara Pearce and then Shepard would be plated as the Eagles would commit an error to give the Knights a 5-4 lead. The Eagles would go scoreless in the bottom of the inning.

The two teams would each get a base runner in the fifth inning, but neither would score and the score remained 5-4 in the Knights favor heading into the top of the sixth inning.

South’s Pilcher would set the tone in the top of the sixth as the center fielder would rob Shepard of a hit with a great running catch and the Knights would not be able to mount any offense and that led to an Eagle explosion.

Chloe Pistelli would lead off the sixth with a single, then Chlara Pistelli and Faith Will would work walks with Chloe Pistelli scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game at 5-5. Pilcher, Dooley, Leonard and Jackson would hit four consecutive two-out singles to end up giving the Eagles six runs in the inning as they would bat around in their lineup.

Northview tried to start a rally, but a sterling play by Chloe Pistelli at shortstop put the Knights in a two-out hole and Northview would eventually strand two runners in the inning as the Eagles got the win.

Northview’s Shepard and Kendra Miller had a pair of hits for the Knights to lead them offensively. South’s Leonard had two hits, including a double and three RBIs to support her complete game pitching effort. Jackson had a pair of hits and three RBI’s as well. Pilcher and Dooley had multi-hit games as well for the Eagles.

South honored the 2012 state championship team between the second and third innings and the current team followed that up with the victory.

Northview 003 200 0 — 5 7 0

South Putnam 202 006 X — 10 12 2

WP — Leonard

LP — Miller

2B — NV Thompson; SP Leonard