Cloverdale rallies from 10-run hole to stun North Putnam

Cloverdale's Ethan Wright scores following a North Putnam throwing error during the fourth inning of Monday's Putnam County baseball outing. The Clovers, at one time down 10-0, scored seven runs in the fourth and kept the momentum going to beat the Cougars 11-10, the school's first win against a Putnam County foe since beating North Putnam in 2018.

Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

CLOVERDALE – At a point in the fourth inning, North Putnam was leading Cloverdale 10-0, had the bases loaded and only one out, looking to pile on the runs Monday night.

The Clovers managed to get out of the threat and responded with seven runs in the bottom half of the inning, keeping the rally going into the fifth and sixth to complete an 11-10 comeback.

The win was the first in WIC baseball play this season and first win against a fellow Putnam County team since beating the Cougars in 15-1 in 2018.

North Putnam began the scoring with back-to-back doubles from Nic Hensley and Kovey Jeter for a 1-0 lead in the second.

A double-play ended the threat but the Cougars would come back stronger in the third inning.

A pair of singles to begin the inning led to a run when Kaiden Helderman dropped a bunt in the right spot to reach safely while a run came in.

After a fielder’s choice cut down the lead run at home, singles from Hensley and Jeter plated three more runs, leaving the visitors in charge with a 5-0 lead.

Layton Allen was relieved on the mound for Cloverdale with Brady Koosman getting an early out but unable to get a second as hits from Isaac Thomason, Brayden Monnett and Helderman got the first two runs in.

Jaylen Windmiller doubled to plate the next run with a single from Hensley seeing Koosman pulled for Drake Hoffa, who intentionally walked Jeter to load the bases.

Brogan Woodall punched a ball through the infield after the walk, scoring two runs to make it 10-0 Cougars.

Hoffa was able to get out of the inning without any further damage after an error reloaded the bases and, with things looking secure, the visitors sent Helderman to the mound after Thomason’s three solid innings of work.

A pair of singles and a hit batsman quickly loaded the bases with an error off the bat of Ethan Wright bringing a run in while keeping the bases loaded.

Allen punched a single to left field to bring in a second run while Isaac Maldonado slashed a single to center field, bringing in a third run while a throwing error allowed a fourth run to come in.

Thomason returned to the mound, giving up a walk and a sac fly to Levi Hilton, the lead now halved at 10-5,

Jayden Sturges singled to plate a run while an error off the bat of Hoffa saw a seventh run come home. A fly ball landed in the outfield, but the hold up waiting for the play to unfold saw Hoffa out a second. A ground out ended the inning.

The Cougars went down in order to send the Clovers right back to the plate where Wright doubled, Maldonado singled and an error off the bat of Hilton saw the two runners score to trim the gap to 10-9.

After another 1-2-3 inning for Hoffa, Koosman singled and McGuire Lee landed the winning blow, notching a two-run home run to left field to make it 11-10.

Hoffa allowed a walk after a strikeout in the seventh but Thomason was caught going for second and Doug O’Hair’s pop out ended the game.

North Putnam 014 500 0 — 10 14 4

Cloverdale 000 722 X — 11 13 2

WP — Hoffa 3 2/3 IP. 4 K, 2 BB

LP — Thomason 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R (3 ER), BB, 3 K

HR — Lee

2B — Hensley, Jeter, Monnett, Windmiller; Wright

RBI — Helderman (3), Jeter (3), Woodall (2), Windmiller, Hensley; Lee (2), Wright, Allen, Maldonado, Hilton, Sturges, Hoffa