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Cougars sectional quest falls short against Lebanon
CRAWFORDSVILLE -- It was a highly-successful season for the North Putnam softball team, a squad that finished with a .500 record and tripled its win total from last season.
The year ended with a 6-0 loss to Class 3A No. 10 Lebanon on Friday in the Crawfordsville sectional championship game, but coach Benny Ault said its tough to be disappointed.
"I'm pretty happy going from four wins last year to 12," Ault said. "Just getting to the sectional championship is good for the girls because it shows them what softball is about and I'm hoping that it drives some of these younger girls to want to get back next year."
The Cougars (12-12) have struggled at times this year when they fall behind, but the squad battled throughout the game on Friday.
NPHS had at least one runner reach base in five of the seven innings, including the first two hitters in the top of the seventh, but couldn't string enough hits together to score a run.
Senior Katie Welch led the team at the plate with a single and a walk. Junior Madi Asbell, sophomores Tyeann Strow, Morgan Albers and Sabrina Surber and freshman Sierra Spencer each had hits.
Lebanon junior pitcher Ashlyn Montgomery kept the Cougars off balance throughout the game. She finished with eight strikeouts and walked just one.
"We had the chance," Ault said. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunity, but it's just going to help the program for the future."
Surber gave the Cougars a complete game on the mound and, aside from the three-run fourth, NPHS played solid, aggressive defense around her.
Though they didn't commit any errors, several balls fell just out of reach for the Cougars and kept the Tigers' rally alive.
Lebanon added one more run in the fifth, but Surber battled back to end the game with four straight outs.
NPHS put the first two runners on in the top of the seventh but ended the game with a strikeout, popup and strikeout.
"They've been ranked in the top ten all year," Ault said. "I just wanted to keep them in check as long as we could and not let them run wild on us."
Lebanon will advance to play at Mt. Vernon on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Cougars will move toward next season with seven returning starters but the team's seniors -- Welch, Lauren Campbell and Cayla Kientz -- will be missed.
"Katie Welch was a senior that did not play last year and she came back and acted like she never missed a beat," Ault said. "She's a good team leader. If you're sitting on the bench, she's you're friend. She's just a pleasure to have on this team and such a big pick-me-up. It was just an honor to coach her for one year. ... We were just talking in the dugout -- that is going to be one player we miss next year.
"Lauren Campbell's defense is as good as they come in the outfield. She had some ups and downs at the plate but she's a competitor and we're going to miss that out of her. When she gets upset, it's because she is so intense in what she's doing. She tries so hard.
"Cayla Kientz ... I've coached her since she was 12 years old. I love her to death. She's another good defensive player. Her and Campbell, both (outfielders), if you ask them to come in and play third, they play third. If you ask them to play short, they play short. Whatever you ask them to do, they do it.
"Kientz is a pleasure. She's just friends with everybody. You'll never hear anybody say a bad word about Cayla Kientz.
"We're going to miss those three girls next year."
IHSAA Sectional final
At Crawfordsville
North Putnam...............000 000 0 -- 0 6 0 6
Lebanon.......................203 010 X -- 6 10 0 4
WP -- Montgomery
LP -- Surber
3B -- Dybalski
2B -- Montgomery, McCollum
