By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – All the bandages holding Bedford North Lawrence’s wounded-and-weary, duct-tape lineup together unraveled at the worst time. One out away from an inspired comeback victory, the Stars suffered a heartbreaking loss.
That’s why the grand game has no time limit. It’s 21 outs. BNL came up one short before Seymour ripped off the band-aid covering BNL’s scrapes and bruises, rallying for a devastating – from the perspective of the beleaguered Stars – win.
With the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Seymour’s London Williams, a freshman reserve with only one hit this season, lofted a tough fly ball into no-man’s land down the right-field line. Two Stars crashed together in a desperate attempt to snag the 21st out, but the ball dropped in fair territory as all three runners scampered home, capping Seymour’s five-run inning and a 7-5 triumph on Tuesday night.
For six-plus innings, BNL (6-19) was on the verge of an impressive home win, especially considering how many lineup changes coach Brad Gilbert had to scribble down. Karsyn Coleman was twirling a gem in the circle, allowing only two runs on a Taylor Stuckwisch homer in the third. The Stars had cobbled together quite a comeback, scoring three in the fifth for a 5-2 lead when a bases-loaded bunt by Sara Williams plated two runs as she dove into the first-base bag to beat the throw.
Hustle and grit are usually rewarded. But this time the Owls (12-9 overall, 3-3 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) were the toughest to conquer. With one out and a runner on in the final frame, Kenna Bohle slashed a hard single to left. With two outs, TaLynn Rieckers ripped a single to center to load the bases. Delaney Warren was hit by a pitch for one run, Lainey Sandlin smacked a sharp single to left to make it 5-4. That set the stage for Williams, the most unlikely of heroes.
“Sometimes the last one is the hardest one to get,” Gilbert said. “We were really good through six innings, we just couldn’t get the last out. Sometimes that happens.
“You can’t fault two players for going after the ball hard. We had a lot of adversity. The fact we were ahead in the top of the seventh shows how hard our kids fought. We fought hard enough to win.”
After the Stuckwisch blast, the Stars pulled even in the fourth. Bella Warren doubled, Adalynn Bailey cranked a two-out RBI double, and Kali McKee singled in the next run. In the fifth, the Stars went small ball as bunts by Sophia Jewell and Jaden Schofield set up the Williams go-ahead play. Coleman followed with a sacrifice fly for the 5-2 lead that disappeared.
The Owls, who had lost four of their last five, refused to surrender. They were the Maxwell House coffee club – good to the last out.
“Just lock it in, put the ball in play, you never know,” Seymour coach Jason Enrique said. “That’s exactly why we did what we do. We’ve been in tight situations, the second half of the season, just about every game. I’m happy that we actually came through in one.”
Seymour collected 13 hits. Stuckwisch, one of the top strikeout hurlers in the league, fanned only four but scattered seven hits. Coleman went the distance in the circle for the Stars, posting the first complete game of the year – by necessity. BNL pitcher Macee Nicholson, one of the wounded, sat out, while catcher Dalanie Davis hit while wearing a shoulder harness. That required BNL to use its fourth catcher (Williams) of the year.
”I’m proud of the effort, against a conference team, possibly somebody we will see in the sectional,” Gilbert said. “We put the ball in play and made good things happen. It might not feel like it right now, but if we play like this the rest of the year, we’ll win some more games.
“It’s a game of inches. If that ball is a little more to the right, it’s foul. I could stand here all night and brag on our kids. We just couldn’t get the last out.”
The Stars, who finished HHC play at 2-4, have now dropped five straight and six of their last seven. They will look to end that slump on Thursday at Bloomington North.
