Eagles hang tough, fall 7-1 to Knights

BRAZIL -- South Putnam came up a couple of key hits short in Tuesday's 7-1 Western Indiana Conference loss at Northview.

Despite facing Northview's Braydon Tucker, an Indiana University commit as a sophomore, the Eagles had their chances to add more than just the single run they scored in the opening frame.

Brandon Gierke smacks a third inning single for the Eagles in Tuesday's conference game at Northview.

South Putnam got on the board first as Dylan Wood opened the game with a base hit and a stolen base. While Tucker retired the next two hitters via strikeout, senior Grady McHugh served a 1-2 off speed pitch into left field for a 1-0 Eagles' lead.

The lead didn't last long however as an error on a fly ball to left field put the Knights' Jase Glassburn on base and he came around to score on a Dalton Shaw sacrifice fly to even the score.

The Eagles were able to put runners on base, the sophomore hurler mostly stranded them right there.

Kyle Hall drew a lead off walk to start the second inning and moved to second on a wild pitch. Tucker was able to strand him there however. In the third inning, South Putnam got a two-out rally going as Brandon Gierke singled to center. McHugh followed with a double to right center, but Tucker coaxed a ground out from Kody Britton to end the threat.

South Putnam had six hits in the game, but left six on base as well. Tucker struck out six over five innings of work to aid his cause.

He also blasted a solo home run in a two-hit night.

Tucker's fifth-inning blast came on the heels of a three-run outburst in the second inning that gave Northview control of the game.

Lincoln Trail-bound Nathan Thomas came in to relieve Tucker on the mound to start the sixth inning and retired the Eagles without allowing a hit, striking out two.

Northview improves to 13-5 overall, 4-1 in the WIC and visits South Putnam (5-15 overall, 2-3 WIC) for a non-conference match-up this evening at 5:30 p.m.

At Brazil

South Putnam 100 000 0 - 1 6 3

Northview 130 120 x - 7 8 1

2B -- Nv (Howald), SP (McHugh). HR -- Nv (Tucker). SB -- Nv (Tucker), SP (Wood). CS -- Nv (Young) by Gierke.

South Putnam highlights -- Dylan Wood was 2-for-4 at the plate with a stolen base and a run scored. Grady McHugh was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double. Tayler Bush and Brandon Gierke each had a hit.

WP -- Tucker. LP -- Wood.