By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Wild things do not make a coach’s heart sing. Nor an umpire’s, for that matter. They want to know, for sure, if that ball is going over the plate. Strikes are everyone’s best friend
Grady Dalton, thrust into a tough situation as an unexpected reliever, had one primary focus: fill up the strike zone, depend on the defense behind him. That simple strategy worked perfectly as Bedford North Lawrence walked past Jennings County on Monday evening.
While Dalton posted zeroes on the scoreboard, the Stars scored all their runs without the benefit of any base hits. The Panthers surrendered only one hit, but seven walks and two hit batters constituted BNL’s attack during a 4-3 win. That’s not exactly a masterpiece or highlight generator, but the Stars (14-6) will take the win without an asterisk or complaint.
“Every win is a big win,” BNL coach Steven McNabb said. “We’ll be happy with it. This is a tough time of year, grinding through the season. School is almost out, our seniors are almost done. Finding that edge every day is hard.“
Dalton was the happiest kid on the diamond. Not at first, because he got summoned with the bases loaded and two runs already on the Jennings ledger, in the top of the first inning. BNL starter Lucas Ira, a hard thrower who usually blows batters away, was a new member of the Wild Bunch, giving up a lead-off double and three walks without surviving the opening frame. When McNabb made that short walk to the mound and called in Dalton, it was a worst-case scenario.
The first thing Dalton did was give up Hayden Low’s soft single to left as Jennings took a 3-0 lead. But when Jennings runner Toby Sturgeon attempted to score from second on that Low stroke, BNL left fielder Jaden Gilbert rifled a perfect throw to BNL catcher Tate Tanksley at the plate to cut down that key run.
From that point, Dalton delivered. He escaped trouble in the second, then coaxed eight ground-ball outs during 4 1/3 innings of work.
”Credit to Grady, to come on in that spot,” McNabb said. “He never thought he would be in the first inning. Sometimes that happens, guys don’t have their best stuff. Tip my hat to Grady, to give us a bunch of zeroes.”
Meanwhile, the Stars answered with three runs in the first, thanks to two walks, two hit batters, a Jennings error and Grayson Gillespie’s sacrifice fly. BNL scored the go-ahead run in the fourth on three walks and Cam Gates’ sacrifice fly. Gillespie had the lone BNL hit, a sharp single to right, in the fifth.
“That’s how finicky this game can be,” McNabb said. “You have to win games sometimes when you’re not playing your best. That’s the sign of a good team. We found a way.”
Dalton struck out two and allowed three hits while improving to 2-0.
“It was unexpected, in the first inning, and Lucas is one of our guys,” he said. “But I’ve been ready all year, to go out there and compete when your number is called. That’s my mindset at all times. Fill the zone up and let my defense work. We have great defenders at every position. It’s nice. If they hit it, I know they have my back.”
Cal Gates pitched the final two innings and fanned two.
”That’s the most efficient he’s been, throwing strikes,” McNabb said. “When he does that, he’s really tough.”
BNL will visit Providence on Thursday.
