GREENWOOD – Center Grove’s Garrison Barile delivered a game-winning, walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning as the top-ranked Trojans edged Bedford North Lawrence 4-3 in a tense extra-inning battle during high school baseball action on Tuesday.
Barile’s one-out single off BNL reliever Cal Gates chased home Carson Vican with the deciding run as Center Grove (11-0) ended BNL’s six-game winning streak.
The Stars (7-3) managed only two hits against four Center Grove hurlers, but the Stars took advantage of nine walks and four errors. BNL took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the third before the Trojans rallied.
“We competed,” BNL coach Jeff Callahan said. “it was a good game between two good teams. We came up short, but those are the type of teams we want to play. Use it to get better.”
BNL scored twice in the first. Kaedyn Bennett reached on an error, and Center Grove starter Ben Murphy issued consecutive walks to Kline Woodward, Walker Ward, Jonny Stone and Ryker Hughes to account for the runs.
In the third, the Stars extended their lead. Ward walked, Hughes was hit by a pitch, and Carter Bennett’s ground ball was misplayed as pinch runner Trace Rynders raced around to score
The Trojans came back against BNL starter Cade Mungle, scoring twice in the third. Drew Culbertson was hit by a pitch, and Evan Zapp singled to put runners on the corners. Culbertson scored as BNL recorded an out at first on a dropped third strike, and Bradley Gilliam followed with a RBI single.
In the fifth, Center Grove drew even on Barile’s triple and Zapp’s sacrifice fly.
BNL’s only hits came from Carter Bennett (a one-out single in the sixth) and Maddox Ray (a bunt single to lead off the 11th). The Stars had runners on in each of the extra innings but could not scratch out the go-ahead run. Mungle struck out 8 in six innings, and Hughes fanned five in four innings of relief work.
“They have a lot of good pitchers,” Callahan said. “Neither team had a lot of chances. Our pitchers did a great job, I’m very pleased with how we pitched,. There are a lot of positives in that phase of the game.”
Barile had three hits for the Trojans.
BNL will host Jeffersonville on Thursday.
