Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Applying pressure can reveal weaknesses, defects or potential failure points. Bella Warren was Bedford North Lawrence’s air compressor, the pneumatic tool that forced fissures and cracks. The more she hammered away, with her bat and feet, the more Bloomington North crumbled.
With Warren as a flashy instigator, with senior superstar Ava Ratliff back to form as a powerful finisher, and with Karsyn Coleman in control after a shaky start, the Stars conquered the Cougars 10-2 on Friday evening. Warren was a dashing demon with two bunt hits and three stolen bases, while Ratliff slugged a two-run home run among her three hits, powering BNL to a rebound win after a sluggish performance the previous night.
BNL did it all. Small ball – the bunt sign was given more from the third-base coaching box than the Bat signal was illuminated above the Gotham skyline. Long ball – Ratliff’s line-drive rip over the fence in left-center was the punctuation mark as she threatened to hit for the cycle. Defense – Sophia Jewell went up against the fence to take away a possible homer in deep left, and Warren made a spectacular sliding catch in foul ground down the right-field line. Pitching – Coleman struck out seven.
Rather than sit back and wait for something special, the Stars made it happen with aggressive base running and the force-the-issue approach at the plate. The Cougars (4-10) were guilty of six errors, which gave BNL a lot of extra bases and scoring chances.
”I was really pleased with that,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “We took advantage of stuff they gave us. We always preach finding that next 60 feet. We did that tonight, put pressure on them. We ran the bases really well, very aggressively. Bella was one of the big reasons. She had a game.”
BNL scored twice in the first, set up by two North infield miscues, then unleashed the speedsters at the back of the batting order. Warren and Jewell dropped down bunt singles to start the second inning. Warren stole third and scampered home when the ball got away, and Ratliff smacked a sharp RBI double to the gap in right-center.
The Stars pulled away with a five-run third. Dalanie Davis cracked a RBI double, and Warren pecked down her second bunt hit to score another. She then stole second and third, trotting home when the Cougars misplayed the throw.
”We’re scoring runs without even putting the ball in play,” Gilbert said. “That’s what we need out of Bella, to be that double threat. Moving forward, that’s what we need to do.”
Ratliff followed all the base-running shenanigans with her ninth homer of the season (and 66th of her brilliant career, extending her state record) for a 9-1 lead. She finished 3 for 4.
”It was a timing thing, and an overthinking thing,” Ratliff said. “I was making little critiques, staying within myself, trying to be calm and not do too much. I was just trying to make solid contact.”
Warren added two later hits with blistered line drives to go 4 for 4.
“I’ve just been working, hitting off the tee,” she said. “Watching the ball hit my bat.”
Coleman (8-4) scattered five hits and worked around two hit batters (including one that forced in the first-inning run).
“Karsyn pitched well,” Gilbert said. “She really settled down and threw well.”
BNL (16-8) will visit Seymour on Tuesday.
