Lady Cougars fall to Monrovia

Friday, May 29, 2015
Morgan Albers stands at the plate before recording a single in the sixth inning. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

CLAYTON -- On a breezy Wednesday at Cascade North Putnam's softball team played in its IHSAA sectional championship against Monrovia. Each team was led to the championship game by great pitching, so it was no surprise that runs were scacre.

Monrovia got the better of North Putnam, winning 3-1 after taking the lead late in the game.

Pitching was the story at the beginning of the game as was a lack of scoring.

While senior Sabrina Surber held the Lady Bulldogs scoreless through the first four innings, her Cougars could not get any momentum against Monrovia's Erica Tharp.

Monrovia struck first in the fifth inning, scoring one run. Monrovia then scored two more in the sixth, making the score 3-0 before North Putnam could respond in the bottom of the sixth.

After junior Sierra Spencer singled and took second after a wild pitch, she was batted in by senior Morgan Albers, whose deep double to left field looked as though it might've cleared the fence with a stronger wind.

North Putnam, however, could not score any more runs and Monrovia took the championship.

NPHS will lose four seniors to graduation, two outfielders, TyeAnn Strow and Jazzmin Laffin, catcher Albers and Surber.

"With my seniors this year it was the leadership and being good kids," Cougar coach Benny Ault said. "They were responsible young adults and made the right decisions. That's something we try to teach more than the sport itself, so when they get out to the real world they can face what's going to happen."

Surber led the conference with 206 strikeouts on the season and Ault believes his team improved with Surber pitching

"We improved more on defense," he said. "Anytime you have Sabrina there on the mound, you will have a chance to win games as long as you cut down on errors which we did late in the season."

Ault went on to say that as his younger players grow and mature, the team would improve on errors and thusly improve overall.

"Winning in sectional and then losing a big sectional game is going to let them see the joy of winning and the heartache of losing."

IHSAA Sectional 44

At North Putnam Sectional

North Putnam 000 001 0 -- 1 3 2

Monrovia 000 001 2--12 4 0

WP: Tharp

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