Alec Novotney outduels Johnathon Stunkel as Marquette edges Putnam County 2-0

GRANVILLE – After a rainout pushed their Tri-County Conference tilt to Friday, Marquette’s Alec Novotney and Putnam County’s Johnathon Stunkel gave fans a pitching performance worth the wait.

Novotney gave up only a single hit on the day, which came with two outs in the seventh inning, and Stunkel gave up three hits as Marquette came away with a 2-0 victory.

Both pitchers sat down the hitters in order to start the game.

In the top of the second, Marquette took advantage of a Putnam County error and a miscommunication.

Keaton Davis ripped a shot toward right field that the outfielder tracked down but dropped. Anthony Couch then sent a bloop toward short right field where Brayden Zuniga made the call but was unable to reach the ball in time for the catch.

Instead of having two outs, the Crusaders had two on and no outs when Grant Dose hit an RBI single to right that scored pinch runner Connor Baker for a 1-0 lead.

Jaxsen Higgins grounded out to second base to score Couch and put the Crusaders up 2-0, which turned out to be more than enough for Marquette.

“We knew coming in we needed to play a clean game,” Putnam County coach Chris Newsome said. “We made an error on a play where Brayden [Zuniga] did a great job getting to the ball and then couldn’t make the catch, and then we need to do a better job a bit on communicating.”

After Novotney sat down the Panthers in order in the bottom of the second, it looked as if Marquette was going to get things going again in the third.

Novotney singled to lead off, but was forced at second. Then catcher Miles Main threw out would be base stealer Griffin Dobberstein, keeping the game 2-0.

In the fourth after retiring the first 11 batters, Novotney walked Traxton Mattingly, but Novotney quickly got out of the inning as he forced Drew Carlson to pop out to end the inning.

“Alec was dealing again tonight,” Marquette coach Todd Hopkins said. “As the weather gets warmer he’s throwing more and more pitches, and he’ll be ready to go for the postseason.”

The Crusaders put pressure on Putnam County in the fifth as Dobberstein led off the inning with a single to right and then ended up on third on a Couch grounder and a wild pitch.

The Crusaders than tattooed a couple of Stunkel pitches, but right at the Panthers’ defenders to end the inning with the score 2-0.

In the bottom of the sixth Putnam County looked to take advantage of getting a runner on when Daric Wiesbrock struck out but reached as the ball got away from Davis.

But Marquette quickly turned a double play as AJ Furar lined to Dobberstein who fired to Sam Mitre at first to end the threat.

As the wind picked up in the seventh, Mitre crushed a shot to center, but the wind kept the score at 2-0, giving the Panthers one last shot.

Kade Zimmerlien ripped a shot to left, but a sliding catch by Higgins kept the no-hitter intact for Novotney, but with two outs, Carlson singled to left.

Novotney struck out Jaden Soddard to end the game.

“Both pitchers threw well today,” Novotney said. “We both hit the ball hard, but right at guys to make the plays. I felt good getting everything over the plate today and then letting the defense make plays behind me.”