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North Putnam unlucky against Danville at home
ROACHDALE -- The North Putnam softball team played two games against Danville Saturday, with the second being a much tighter contest. However errors on defense limited the effect of senior Sabrina Surber's 13 strikeouts in the second game and the Cougars lost both contests. Game one ended 14-1 while the second game ended 7-5.
The first game saw pitcher Reilly Tucker take the mound as well as some Cougars who were playing outside their comfort zones.
NPHS coach Benny Ault wanted to try out some new looks to get his players accustomed to different roles on the team.
"I was trying to get some girls some playing time early in the season and see what they have," Ault said. "We're trying to get girls in different position so if a girl gets hurt, like when Madi Asbell last year broke her arm. We want to prepare for that."
Danville jumped out to an early lead. After scoring nine in the first inning, the Warriors scored four more runs in the third.
"I thought Chloe LaPierre did a great job in the last two and a half innings when she took over and only allowed one run scored," Ault said. "For a freshman that's outstanding."
The Cougars' lone run in game one came in the fifth and final inning off a Claire Sims RBI when she knocked one into center field to score Morgan Albers. However Sierra Spencer looking to score for the Cougars was thrown out and the game ended.
In the second game Surber took the mound and the Cougars controlled the play for much of the game. After Danville scored two in the third inning, North Putnam bounced back with two runs of its own courtesy of Mia Runnells and Jada Stump who each got an RBI when they knocked in Albers and Kaleigh Storm, running for Surber, respectively. Those runs came with two outs on the board.
The team then took the lead in the fourth when Sierra Spencer was knocked in by La Pierre.
Surber was pitching well, striking out 13 with 11 swinging. She walked no batters all game. North Putnam scored again in the fifth making the score 4-2.
However, errors late in the game began to catch up with the Cougars. After scoring three runs in the sixth helped along by North Putnam errors, the Warriors managed two more in the seventh to take the lead 7-4.
"We knew we were going to pitch Sabrina," Ault said. "That was the game plan to try and get the win on the second time around and build some self esteem. She had 13 strikeouts but we had nine errors.
"That's what we talked to the girls about," Ault continued. "When they have 13 strikeouts and we only have five in the game you should be winning those games. Those errors are killing us."
The Cougars did score in the fifth when Runnells' RBI plated Albers but that was all they could muster.
The Lady Cougars are back in action Tuesday when they travel to Turkey Run for their first of three straight games.
AT North Putnam
Danville 904 010 -- (14) (11) 1
N. Putnam 000 001 -- 1 5 2
Pitching IP R H BB K
Tucker 2.5 13 8 3 1
LaPierre 2.5 1 3 0 4
Batting
1B Sims, Surber, Stump, Albers, S. Spencer
Game 2
Danville 002 003 2 -- 7 9 3
N. Putnam 002 110 1 -- 5 9 4
Pitching IP R H BB K
Surber 7 7 9 0 13
Batting
3B Albers
2B Stump
1B Surber (2), Runnells (2), Storm, LaPierre, S. Spencer