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North Putnam softball responds with walk-off win on senior night
ROACHDALE -- The North Putnam softball team picked up a win in its final home game of the season on Tuesday, beating Riverton Parke by scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, 2-1.
The Cougars (11-10) were coming off a disappointing loss to Cloverdale in the championship game of Saturday and NPHS coach Benny Ault said he was pleased to see the team come back after the emotional weekend.
"These girls took the loss Saturday to Cloverdale hard and I wasn't sure how they were going to respond tonight," Ault said. "But they came out and played of the best games we have played all year. The loss Saturday was probably the best things that happened to us.
"We came back strong and played as a team and it was great."
Sophomore Sabrina Surber led the Cougars on senior night, pitching a complete game with 13 strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters.
The two teams entered the seventh inning in a scoreless tie before Riverton Parke scratched one run across the plate.
The Cougars battled right back.
Senior Katie Welch led of the bottom of the inning with a nine-pitch at-bat, eventually finding a pitch to drive to left field for a single. Welch advanced to third on a hard-hit single by freshman Sierra Spencer, who then stole second.
With two runners in scoring position, junior Kayla Fish hit a hard ground ball to short. Welch scored and Fish beat the throw at first.
Another freshman, Clair Sims, then hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to left.
Prior to the game, NPHS honored its four seniors -- Cayla Kientz, Katie Welch, Lauren Campbell and Morgan Robinson -- with a pre-game ceremony.
Robinson, a three-sport athlete for the Cougars who was injured last spring, caught the first pitch of the game.
NPHS is off until next Wednesday, when it opens sectional play in the second round at Crawfordsville at 5 p.m.