Déjà vu: Toney, Clovers beat Eagles

Cloverdale junior Lindsay Robson makes a diving catch during the second inning against South Putnam on Tuesday. Robson played nearly perfect defense in the win, recording five put-outs. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

CLAYTON -- In her last three at-bats against her cousin, Cloverdale senior Bradanne Toney has homered three times.

Toney's first-inning bomb tied the score against Mattie Varvel and South Putnam, Katt Raisor pitched a gem and the Clovers won the opening-round sectional game 3-1 at Cascade on Tuesday.

"That was a good game. I enjoy them close ones," Cloverdale coach Brian Knapp said. "They're a great team, but I didn't like the Indianapolis Star putting them in the championship game already."

The Indianapolis Star predicted South Putnam and Cascade would meet in the sectional finals game on Monday.

The Clovers (7-10, 1-9 WCC) and Eagles matched up less than two weeks ago in the first round of the Putnam County Tournament, a game in which Toney hit two home runs to help them beat South Putnam.

The starting pitcher that day, and on Tuesday, was Varvel, a senior and Toney's first cousin.

South Putnam (14-8, 8-2 WCC) served as the visiting team on Tuesday and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, hoping to avoid another upset at the hands of the Eagles.

Varvel led of the game with a single, was sacrificed to second, stole third then scored on a ground ball out.

Toney came up with two outs in the first to tie the game, then the two pitchers got to work.

Raisor, a senior at Cloverdale, allowed just three hits, and no runs, during the next five innings.

"Katt kept them off balance, for the most part," Knapp said. "I hope she's ready to do it again tomorrow night because we're a one-pitcher team."

Varvel was just as masterful for the Eagles.

She held the Clovers hitless in the second and third innings, walked Toney to lead off the fourth, then picked up three quick outs to get out of trouble.

"I thought (Varvel) threw a really good game," South Putnam coach Chris Jones said. "Her cousin got a really good hit again, and hat's off to (Toney)."

In the fifth, the Clovers' offense finally found room to work.

Heather Goss hit a one-out single, Raisor took a pitch to her ribs and Jess Winders got a base hit.

Goss scored on an error, Raisor's courtesy runner on a pass ball, then Kim Winders walked. Jones could see Varvel was struggling, but had no one available to replace her who had any experience pitching in a varsity game.

He picked senior left fielder Kelsey Whitaker, who has pitched in travel ball but never at the varsity level.

Whitaker was perfect in her 1.2 innings but the Eagles were behind by two with six outs to go.

"It was really just having confidence in my senior to come in and get the opportunity and do the best she could," Jones said. "She did. I'm proud of all nine of those girls out there tonight. They gave it the best they could."

Varvel singled to lead off the sixth but the Eagles weren't ready to rally.

The two-time defending state champions were suddenly three outs from being eliminated in the first round of sectionals and the bottom half of the order coming up.

Freshman Katie Hewitt led off with a long drive to deep center field, but it was tracked down by Lindsay Robson. Robson had five put-outs on Tuesday.

Seniors Janet Crafton and Nikki York got things going with back-to-back singles off Raisor, the first time she'd allowed multiple base runners in an inning.

Raisor struck out the next hitter, junior Katie McHugh, and the Eagles were two runs behind and down to their final out. Junior Brooke Cundiff leaned into a pitch to load the bases and bring up Varvel, 2-for-3 to that point, with the game, season -- and career -- on the line.

With the bases loaded, she battled at the plate, then hit a sharp groundball to third. Jess Winders picked it up and stepped on the bag, then flipped the ball back to Raisor, almost in disbelief.

For the second time in two weeks, Cloverdale had beaten South Putnam.

For just the second time in their careers, the seniors on South Putnam had lost to another Putnam County school.

"You've got to give Cloverdale credit for taking advantage of some mistakes and then getting it done and beating us," Jones said. "We gave them all we could in that last inning. We did the best we could, we just couldn't get a ball to bounce the right way here and there."

South Putnam finished the last three seasons with an absurd 73-8 record, two state championships and a run of success that is unparalleled in county history.

Cloverdale became the first team to knock South Putnam out during sectional play in the last four years.

As their prize, the Clovers advanced to Wednesday's second-round and a matchup with Speedway (7-10), scheduled to begin at Cascade at 7 p.m.

Knapp said he doesn't know what to expect, but that's been par for the course as the Clovers won three of their last four games.

"From what I've seen so far this season, don't count (the Clovers) out. They're going to play," he said. "Speedway used to be in our conference, they're not anymore, so I have no idea (what to expect). Those are the kinds of games I like."

South Putnam senior Nikki York keeps here eyes on the ball, even as the ball cruises in front of her face on Tuesday. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

IHSAA Sectional 44
First round -- at Cascade
South Putnam...................100 000 0 -- 1 6 1 6
Cloverdale........................100 020 X -- 3 3 1 4