EVANSVILLE – Bedford North Lawrence salvaged one win in its final three games during the Castle Invitational on Saturday.
The Stars (2-6) suffered an 18-1 loss (in five innings) to Illinois power Lincoln-Way Central in the second game of pool play, then bounced back to conquer Shelbyville 5-3. In the consolation round, BNL dropped a 12-1 decision to Fishers in six innings.
“I feel like we had spurts where we played really well,” BNL coach Brad Gilbert said. “We have to take that away as a positive.”
Lincoln-Way Central 18, BNL 1 – The Knights (5-2) exploded for 11 runs in the third inning en route to the mercy-rule victory. Tori Nikirk had the only hit, a RBI single in the first, for the Stars. Lincoln-Way collected 18 hits. Lisabella Dimitrijevic, a Florida State recruit, had a double, home run and 5 RBIs for the Knights.
BNL 5, Shelbyville 3 – The Stars ended their five-game losing streak as Ava Ratliff went the distance in the circle for her first career win. She scattered five hits and struck out five.
After Shelbyville’s Addison Stieneker, a Marshall recruit, homered in the third, the Stars scored twice in the fourth. Aliza Jewell blasted a solo home run, Nikirk singled, and Anna Williams belted a RBI double. In the fifth, BNL extended its lead to 5-1. Ratliff drove in a run with a single, and two more scored on a Kendall Graves ground out and an error.
“Ava wanted the ball so give her credit to get her first win,” Gilbert said. “She really looked comfortable out there.”
Stieneker had two hits and 2 RBIs (with a RBI double in the seventh) for the Golden Bears (2-3).
Fishers 12, BNL 1 – In the consolation round, the Tigers clawed to an 8-1 lead after two innings and scored four in the sixth to trigger the mercy rule.
BNL’s lone run came in the second. Jewell singled and pinch runner Bella Warren advanced two bases on wild pitches. She scored on Sara Williams’ sacrifice bunt. The Stars totaled only four hits and committed four errors. Azstryd Alexander had three hits and 3 RBIs for the Tigers, and Kate Murray hit a walk-off three-run homer to end it. Murray also struck out 8 in the circle.
“We started off terrible,” Gilbert said. “After that first inning we played really well. Macee (Nicholson) had to pitch a lot innings, but we had outfielders diving and making plays, getting after it. Our hitting is starting to getter better, so those are things to build on. We’re still figuring things out.”
BNL will visit Edgewood on Tuesday.
