BEDFORD – Bedford North Lawrence reached a key goal, recording its 20th victory of the season, while breaking out of an offensive malaise with an 11-3 win over Southridge on Saturday.
The Stars (20-11) finished the regular season and recorded 20 wins for only the 10th time in the program’s 42-year history. It’s the sixth time they’ve done that in the last 10 years. They got there by scoring seven runs over the final three innings and taking advantage of seven Southridge errors.
BNL ended a frustrating two-game skid by pulling away after a sluggish start. The Stars had only two hits in the first three-plus innings, and scored their first four runs without a hit driving in any runs. But they broke out the bats with four hits during a four-run fifth.
BNL took a 3-0 lead in the first, thanks to a walk, hit batter and two errors. The Stars added a run in the second when Bella Warren singled, stole second, took third on a ground out and scored when the Southridge catcher couldn’t corral a third strike. In the fourth, Dalanie Davis stroked a two-out single, Adalynn Bailey reached on an error, and Tori Nikirk drove in the run with an infield single.
The Stars scored in more conventional ways in the fifth. Singles by Macee Nicholson and Sara Williams set the stage for an RBI single by Karsyn Coleman and a two-run double by Bailey. Coleman added another run-scoring single and Warren walloped a RBI double in the sixth.
“It took a little bit of time but we finally figured it out,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “We had some clutch hitting, and I was really pleased with the way we ran the bases. Both pitchers did a good job, and I’m really happy with that.”
Coleman, Warren and Nikirk all had two hits for the Stars. Coleman worked 3 2/3 innings in relief, allowing only a solo home run to Millie Hunter in the fifth.
”Getting 20 wins is a big deal,” Gilbert said. “If you had told me last fall we would get 20 wins, I would have taken it. That’s exciting.”
BNL will face Floyd Central in the first semifinal of the Class 4A sectional at Seymour on Monday afternoon.
