MITCHELL – If any team could have claimed “battle fatigue” after two Saturday skirmishes against the state’s best, Bedford North Lawrence definitely qualified. Yet the Stars, newly minted at No.4 in the latest Class 4A poll, had plenty of reserve firepower.
BNL, going on the road to clash with Mitchell in the county rivalry, exploded for 11 runs in the second inning while smacking the Bluejackets 20-7 in a five-inning, mercy-rule triumph. The only thing that wore out the Stars was the constant scoring.
The Stars (15-4) pounded out 20 hits, including home runs by Braxton McCauley and state leader Ava Ratliff, and roared to a 19-0 lead before cruising to the finish line.
“It’s one of those games, it’s a county game where everyone knows everybody, and you have to jump on them right away,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “Don’t give them confidence. It was exciting to see that. Wé came on strong. We just kept hitting and hitting.”
Any hint of weariness vanished quickly as BNL scored six in the first, all with two outs. McCauley (RBI single), Kendall Graves (two-run double), Tori Nikirk (run-scoring triple) and Anna Williams (RBI single) chased home the runs.
Then came the never-ending second. BNL sent 14 batters to the plate, with the big hits coming from McCauley (RBI double), Hayley Davis (two-run single), Williams (a bunt single that scored two), Ratliff (a two-run bomb to center) and McCauley again (a two-run blast to center).
“Don’t give them any hope,” BNL’s Annie Waggoner said. “Keep the foot on the gas.”
Sara Williams launched a bases-loaded double in the third, and she tripled in another run in the fifth.
The Bluejackets (9-6) scored two in the third against BNL reliever Aliza Jewell, then five more in the fourth (with a Rylee Brazzell homer and two BNL errors).
McCauley had three hits (one of eight Stars with multiple hits) and four RBIs. Ratliff now leads the state in homers (13) and RBIs (39). There was no letdown after the big-time battles with new No.1 Center Grove and No.3 Columbus North over the weekend.
“It was brutal,” Waggoner said. “But we picked ourselves back up and went after them.”
“A lot of people were tired,” Gilbert said. “When you’re playing two great teams like that, every pitch is so important, you have a headache when you’re done. You’re so focused.”
Waggoner also set the school record with her 50th career pitching victory. That’s a remarkable achievement when considering she missed her freshman season when the IHSAA cancelled the entire 2020 season during the pandemic.
“It feels unreal, honestly, especially since I didn’t have my freshman year,” Waggoner said. “I didn’t think I would ever accomplish anything like that on a grand scale.”
Emma Chastain was 3-for-3 while Malaya Tanglao, Page Mullis and Caitlin Mullis had two hits each for Mitchell.
The Stars will visit Columbus North for a rematch with the Bull Dogs on Tuesday.
