Menu
Cougars trampled by Wildcats
CLINTON – Tuesday night was the night North Putnam’s softball team had long been waiting for.
It was the chance for the Cougars to exact revenge on South Vermillion for last season’s sectional final, a chance to eliminate the four-time defending champions and secure a spot in the IHSAA Softball Class 2A Sectional No. 44 final.
It was also perhaps too big a spot for the team as the Wildcats scored three runs in the second and third innings and kept the runs coming, eventually leading to a 11-1 win for the hosts in six innings.
“We were outcoached tonight,” North Putnam head coach Kerry Rousey said. “(South Vermillion head coach Sean Boardman) outcoached me; he had his kids prepared and I did not.”
The crucial moment for North Putnam came early on after Ashley Weir was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the first inning, followed by a single for Grace Kinkead.
Brilye Schmitz grounded into a fielder’s choice that saw the lead runner out at third with Emma Williams coming to the dish.
After fouling off a pair of pitches, Williams hit a ground ball down the left field line, one that was just narrowly the wrong side of the line when it was booted further down the line.
The reprieve turned out to be for South Vermillion as Williams grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on the next pitch and in the top of the second, Kinley Minor doubled home two runs before taking advantage of a lax defense on a Rylee Richey ground ball to score from second for a 3-0 lead.
Karyssa Miller hit a solo home run in reply in the bottom half of the inning but Rayven Wilson would single two runs in and Mady Crim singled to plate Wilson to make it 6-1.
Kendyl Brewer was able to keep the damage at three runs despite the Wildcats loading the bases but opposing pitcher Makenzie Mackey was flying through the Cougar order before adding a solo home run in the fourth.
Hannah Boardman singled home two runs in the fifth, as would Brilee Schimmel in the sixth, with Kinkead, replacing Brewer in the fifth, unable to stem the South Vermillion tide as well.
Ashlynn Stacks would get a single in the bottom of the sixth but a Weir groundout ended proceedings as the Wildcats moved on to the sectional final.
North Putnam finishes the season 18-8 with an 8-2 record in WIC play and holds the Putnam County Paddle at the end of the 2021-22 school year.
“I’m proud of the group we have,” Rousey said. “I’ve been in the game for some time and I like this bunch.
“We have a good feeder system, had around 90 kids come out for our clinic and the future looks bright for us. onight was a cloud but we’re going in the right direction and what we need to do now is get them to believe they can hang with anybody.”
South Vermillion 033 122 — 11 13 1
North Putnam 010 000 — 1 3 3
WP — Mackey 6 IP, 3 H, R, BB, HBP, 3 K
LP — Brewer 4 2/3 IP, 11 H, 9 R (8 ER), 2 BB, 2 JBP, 3 K
HR — Mackey; Miller
2B — Minor
RBI — Wilson (2), Miller (2), Richey, Boardman, Mackey, Crim, Schimmel; Miller