COLUMBUS – Bedford North Lawrence erupted for six runs in the fourth inning while conquering Columbus North 11-2 during high school baseball action on Thursday.
The Stars (12-6) pounded out 15 hits, while freshman pitchers Cam Gates and Lucas Ira combined on a two-hitter during an impressive road triumph.
BNL’s big rally started with Kline Woodward’s single, followed by bunt singles from Ryker Hughes and Walker Ward. Gates lofted a sacrifice fly for the first run, while Cade Mungle doubled in the go-ahead run. Tate Tanksley followed with a RBI single, Tyler Stigall stroked a two-run double, and he later scored on a wild pitch.
“We did a good job,” BNL coach Jeff Callahan said. “We got some bunts down, played a little small ball, and got them rattled. We came through with some key hits and did a lot of good things up and down the order.”
BNL added four runs in the fifth. Tanksley had a run-scoring single and Maddox Ray cracked a bases-loaded double to complete that offensive surge. The Stars added a final run in the sixth on Mungle’s two-out RBI single.
Hughes, Mungle, Gates, Tanksley, Ray and Ward all had two hits each.
Gates worked the first four innings on the mound, allowing one hit and one run. Ira worked three innings in relief, giving up one hit and one run while walking four.
“We’ve got some injuries, with three pitchers down, so when guys like that can step up, eat up some innings, it’s big,” Callahan said. “The big picture is later in May, when the sectional comes around, we want them all healthy.”
BNL will host Mitchell for the annual county clash on Friday.
