Softball Game Preview: North Putnam Cougars vs. Cloverdale Clovers

The North Putnam Cougars will challenge the Cloverdale Clovers at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. North Putnam hasn't scored more than a single run for five games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.

North Putnam fell victim to Northview and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They fell just short of the Knights by a score of 2-0. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Cougars have suffered against the Knights since April 25, 2018.

Tori Detro spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up 13 Ks. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.

Eastern Greene hit Cloverdale with a four-run second inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Clovers fell just short of the Thunderbirds by a score of 8-7.

Norah Frye put in work while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off three hits. Frye was also big at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and one run.

In other batting news, Sydney Bernard made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one double.

Cloverdale's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-9. As for North Putnam, their loss dropped their record down to 7-4.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. North Putnam has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Cloverdale struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Everything went North Putnam's way against Cloverdale in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as North Putnam made off with an 11-1 win. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Clovers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.