No. 15 Eagles open sectional against Cubs; county track tonight

Monday, April 30, 2018

South Putnam's Eagles, ranked No. 15 in the most recent state rankings by the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association, will open play in the Class 2A Greencastle Sectional on May 21 against the host teem.

The Eagles took a 6-7 record into Monday's game with Eminence, while the Tiger Cubs took a 4-8 record into Monday's game with Monrovia.

The winner will meet North Putnam (5-5) in the semifinals on May 22, while the other semifinal game will be between South Vermillion (7-4) and Cloverdale (4-4).

South Vermillion brings the only record over .500 into the tourney, posting two wins each over Wabash River Conference foes Fountain Central, Riverton Parke and Seeger and splitting a pair of games with North Vermillion.

The Wildcats have also lost to Indianapolis Roncalli, Terre Haute North and Class 1A No. 5-ranked North Central.

Wildcat standout Hope Grange, daughter of the team's head coach, has committed to play collegiately for Indiana University.

Putnam County softball teams have been warming up along with the weather.

Going into this week, the Tiger Cubs had recorded two straight shutouts behind the left arm of senior pitcher Julia Mundy, who will play at Division II Saginaw Valley State University next year.

South Putnam junior catcher Drew Bratcher, a DePauw commit, has hit six home runs this season. Freshman pitchers Alex Steffy and Brionna Egold are adjusting well to varsity level competition.

North Putnam got a strong 16-strikeout performance last week from senior pitcher Chloe LaPierre and is improving both its hitting and defense as the season goes along.

Cloverdale has gotten strong hitting from Hanover College signee Kiley Shedron, junior Tori Combs and freshman Sky Lowe as well as solid pitching from sophomore Macie Couch.

County track

Greencastle's Emma Wilson is the obvious favorite in any event in which she runs for the Tigers Cubs in the Putnam County meet.

Field events start at 5 p.m. today at South Putnam.

Greencastle's girls are the defending team champions, while South Putnam won the boys' title a year ago. Last year, Wilson won the 800, 1,600 and 3,200.

Other returning individual county champions are:

* Greencastle's Seelye Stoffregen (100 and 300 hurdles), Jada Amis (shot put) and Sydney Lewis (pole vault);

* Cloverdale's Chelsie Edwards (400), Tyler Kaeff (110 and 300 hurdles) and Blake Willis (pole vault);

* North Putnam's Ethan Christy (200) and Brandon Barker (long jump); and

* South Putnam's Austin Rumley (800).