The North Putnam Cougars will take on the Parke Heritage Wolves at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. North Putnam is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
On Wednesday, North Putnam didn't have quite enough to beat Sullivan and fell 5-3. The Cougars haven't had much luck with the Golden Arrows recently, as the team has come up short the last six times they've met.
Tori Detro
| 04/16/25 vs Sullivan | 8 |
| 04/15/25 @ Brown County | 18 |
| 04/14/25 @ Speedway | 9 |
| 04/11/25 vs Monrovia | 11 |
| 04/08/25 @ Covenant Christian | 12 |
Tori Detro spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and three unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been consistent : she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts any time she's pitched this season.
At the plate, North Putnam saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Bailey Pride, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Parke Heritage). They put the hurt on North Central with a sharp 20-12 win on Tuesday. That's two games straight that the Wolves have won by exactly eight runs.
Aerianna Desmith made a splash no matter where she played. She tossed five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. The dominant performance also gave her a new career-high in strikeouts (four). She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of her six plate appearances. Those runs marked the first that she scored this season.
In other batting news, Birkley Schelsky was incredible, going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Those hits were her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Paisley Hartman, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances.
Parke Heritage always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .660. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Having lost for the first time this season, North Putnam fell to 4-1. As for Parke Heritage, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 2-5.
Thursday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. North Putnam hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Parke Heritage struggles in that department as they've averaged .319. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
North Putnam took their win against Parke Heritage in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 11-1 score. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Wolves have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
