HUNTINGBURG – Evansville Mater Dei, ranked No.8 in Class 2A, topped Bedford North Lawrence 9-3 in the championship game of the Raider Hardball Classic on Saturday night.
The Wildcats (11-5) pulled away in the final two innings, scoring six runs during those two frames to subdue the Stars (10-6). BNL advanced to the final with a 3-0 victory over host Southridge in the opening game, while Mater Dei smacked Northview 12-2 in the other first-round clash.
“This is the third time we’ve come down here, where we’ve dominated the first game,” BNL coach Jeff Callahan said. “Then we didn’t have enough in the tank for the second game, to score enough runs or keep them down to get the win.”
BNL 3, Southridge 0 – In the first game, Kline Woodward struck out 10 and allowed only three hits, all singles, while going the distance on the mound.
The Stars scored in the fourth as Ryker Hughes was hit by a pitch, Cade Mungle sacrificed him to second, and freshman Cam Gates drove him home with a sharp single to left. In the fifth, Trace Rynders reached on an error, Cal Gates dropped a sacrifice bunt, and Maddox Ray cracked a RBI single to right. Woodward followed with a run-scoring double to left.
Woodward had two hits, both doubles. The Raiders fell to 8-5.
“That was one of the best high school games I’ve seen pitched in a long time,” Callahan said. “He could throw what he wanted, when he wanted. He did a fantastic job.”
Mater Dei 9, BNL 3 – The Wildcats scored three runs in the second on a two-run double by Ethan Goodwin and RBI single by Drake Branson to take control. The Stars fought back within 3-2 in the fifth on Walker Ward’s single, Tate Tanksley’s sacrifice, Rynders’ single and Cal Gates’ sacrifice fly.
But Mater Dei broke away with two runs in the sixth (set up by Charlie Hoffman’s lead-off triple) and four in the seventh (Nolan Schickel had a run-scoring single and Hoffman cracked a RBI double during the late rally).
Schickel and Hoffman had two hits each for Mater Dei. The Stars were limited to five hits. BNL scored one in the first when Ray singled, went to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Woodward’s sacrifice fly. BNL’s final run was produced by Woodward (single) and Mungle (sacrifice fly).
“We never could get that hold,” Callahan said. “At the last, we threw the ball around and they put it away.”
BNL, which will learn its postseason fate when the IHSAA conducts the state tournament draw on Sunday, will host New Albany on Monday.
