By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – For the first time this season, after a sudden health issue caused concern, Aliza Jewell was back to her old self. Hurling and hitting, dominant and dangerous, throwing smoke and smoking balls all over the diamond. That’s great news for Bedford North Lawrence, a warning for future opponents.
That was Jewell the Gem in the circle, going the distance for five strong innings. That was Jewell the Gemcutter at the plate, cracking extra-base hits and driving in runs from the clean-up spot. And those were the Stars, sparkling in all phases during a runaway victory on Friday evening.
Jewell went the distance, striking out five and scattering three hits, and BNL banged out 13 hits while thumping Linton 14-1 during a mercy-rule triumph. The Stars (4-6-1) continued their power surge, crushing three more home runs.
All eyes were on Jewell. The senior left-hander had struggled during the first three weeks of the campaign, and she had been limited in terms of innings and pitches. BNL coach Brad Gilbert was always ready for a fast change, watching to see if his expected ace was showing signs of quick fatigue. Against the Miners, after allowing a first-inning run, Jewell threw harder as the game progressed.
“It was nice to see,” Gilbert said. “I’m happy for her. She battled, got out of some tough spots, and settled in, pitched well. That’s what we need, that’s what we want. That’s exciting, and hopefully a sign that she’s getting her strength back.”
She was under some stress, because Linton (1-2) had multiple baserunners in four of the five frames. In previous outings, that led to trouble and big-number innings. The illness was winning. She dug a little deeper against the Miners.
“I’ve been trying to battle through that,” Jewell said. “It’s been mentally and physically wearing me down, going through trial and error for what helps. So in the fifth inning, it was like ‘hey, I’m actually finishing.’”
Jewell got plenty of offensive support. BNL scored in every inning, starting with two in the first when Tori Nikirk walked, Kendall Graves ripped a triple to center, and Graves scored on a wild pitch. In the second, Sara Williams hammered a home run to right for a 3-1 advantage.
BNL broke it open in the third. Ava Ratliff launched a solo shot to center, the 48th of her career as she continues her inevitable assault on the state record, and Jewell jolted a two-run bomb. Anna Williams doubled to center, and her sister Sara sizzled a single to center for a 7-1 lead.
The first six BNL batters reached in the fourth to ignite a seven-run rally. Nikirk singled, Ratliff reached on an error, and Graves stroked a two-run double. Jewell lined a double to right, and Anna Williams singled in two more runs. Nikirk capped the scoring with a RBI single.
Over half of BNL’s hits were for extra bases, and the coaching staff charted 12 hard-hit balls. The Stars also flashed their speed on the bases.
“That’s what we need, that’s what I thought this team would be built on,” Gilbert said. “Home runs are great, but going first to third, and scoring from second, is what I like to see.”
Nikirk, Jewell, Graves and both Williams sisters had two hits each. Graves and Jewell both had three RBIs.
BNL will host Living Water (a home school team from Indianapolis) and Lawrence North on Saturday, with the first game of the round-robin event starting at 11 a.m.
