Martinsville too much for South Putnam

Martinsville broke open a close game with four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to defeat South Putnam, 15-3, in a non-conference baseball game Friday on the Eagles' field.

The Eagles (2-6) bounced back from a 4-0 deficit to score one in the first inning and two in the second to get within one.

Martinsville's Mason Kutruff had a two-run home run with two outs in the third to increase its lead to 6-3.

"I thought we played well for the first few innings," South Putnam coach Ryan Gilman said.

Then, the roof caved in on the Eagles.

Martinsville's four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth were unearned. The Artesians (2-4) had five hits in the two innings to make the Eagles pay for six errors.

Some of South Putnam's fielding opportunities were more difficult than routine, but they were still plays that needed to be made.

Martinsville also had 11 hits off four South Putnam pitchers, who combined four strikeouts, four walks and two hit batters.

"Martinsville put the ball in play where we weren't," Gilman said. "They didn't strike out and put pressure on the defense."

Rob Gibson had a single and a double, scored one run and stole two bases for the Eagles. Tanner Thompson and Seth Hammond each had RBI singles.

Gibson reached base leading off the first by alertly racing to first base on a passed ball after a strikeout. He stole second and third and scored on Thompson's single.

Nick Scott reached first on an error to open the second inning, Joe Waters sacrifice bunted Scott to second. Austin Bumgardner also reached on an error and Gibson's infield single loaded the bases.

Hammond's single drove in Scott, but Gibson was caught in no-man's land rounding second and was thrown out on sharp throw by the cutoff player, shortstop Caleb Miller. The alert Bumgardner scored on the throw to second for South Putnam's third run.

Martinsville pitcher Brandon Applegate limited the Eagles to no runs and one hit over the final three innings.

South Putnam used four pitchers, partially by design. Aaron Parker started and gave up four runs and four hits in the first. With West Central Conference games Monday at home and Tuesday on the road against Monrovia, Gilman had planned on limiting his pitch count and for him to throw only the first.

Wyatt Nees relieved Parker to open the second. He pitched a scoreless second that included a double play in which shortstop Hammond tagged second to force the runner and threw to first to complete. Nees gave up his first hit, a single by Applegate, with two outs in the third and Kutruff hit a drive over the right-field fence.

Martinsville loaded to the bases with two outs in the fourth and Nees should have been out of the inning on a ground ball. But it got through the infielder and two runs scored. Nees gave up an RBI single the next hitter and Scott replaced him and got the final out.

Scott gave up five runs in the fifth, all of them unearned. Waters relieved Scott and gave up an RBI on a sacrifice fly and a two-run single, both runs credited to Scott.

At South Putnam

Martinsville 402 45 -- 15 11 4

South Putnam 120 00 -- 3 4 7

Applegate and Elliott, No. 13 (5); Parker, Nees (2), Scott (4), Waters (5) and Gibson.

WP: Applegate; LP: Parker.

HR: Martinsville--Kutruff, third inning, one on.

Double: South Putnam--Gibson.

Singles: Martinsville--Applegate 3, Lavender 2, Abrams 1, Elliott 1, Elkins 1, Tackett 1, Kutruff 1; South Putnam--Gibson, Hammond, Thompson.

RBI: Martinsville--Kutruff 3, Applegate 2, Tackett 2, Lavender 1, Elliott 1, Elkins 1; South Putnam--Thompson 1, Hammond 1.