By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
SEYMOUR – Hitless but not hopeless, Bedford North Lawrence was one swing away from a Class 4A sectional championship. But the Stars could not connect. Floyd Central did.
Ace right-hander Blaine Metz, wild but untouchable, and closer Mason Moravec combined on a no-hitter, and senior slugger Seth Newkirk blasted a towering two-run home run as the No.4 Highlanders clipped the Stars 2-1 in a dramatic sectional final on Monday.
Floyd Central (24-3) made the Memorial Day conclusion memorable with its first sectional title since 2021. BNL (17-12) will never forget the opportunities that slipped away. Just one hit would have made the difference as the Stars left seven runners on base, including the bases loaded in the fifth inning. While Metz walked six, he also struck out 12 in six innings, and Morvec struck out the side in the seventh to clinch the victory celebration.
“We had a some chances,” BNL coach Jeff Callahan said. “When you play good teams, it comes down to one or two plays. This sectional is tough. They always have dudes. Their dudes were just a tad better than our dudes. But it was close.“
Metz was in trouble in multiple innings. BNL had a runner at third with one out in the first, but Kline Woodward’s vicious liner was snagged by Moravec at second base. The Stars scored in the fifth, thanks to three walks and a hit batter. But after Maddox Ray’s walk forced in the run, Metz got Woodward on a strikeout and Cam Gates on a foul fly down the right-field line, where Moravec made an outstanding sliding catch along the fence line.
Woodward was equally dominant – except for one pitch. In the fourth, Moravec led off with a single and T.J. DeSpain sacrificed him to second. On a 2-2 pitch, Newkirk hammered his home run into the pine trees that border American Legion Field for a 2-0 lead.
“You get to games like this, deeper into the season, and you face good pitchers,” FC coach Casey LaDuke said. “Woodward did a great job. You have to battle, you’re not going to tee off on guys. You have to battle to get on, then maybe get a home run.”
“Outside of that, all the other pitches were really good,” Callahan said.
Woodward struck out 8 in 5 2/3 innings, and got defensive help from Cal Gates (a tough sliding catch in center field in the first) and Tyler Stigall (who made a jumping catch of a line drive at second base in the sixth to start a double play). Ryker Hughes finished the last four outs and struck out the side in the seventh.
Cal Gates had the only other hard-hit ball for BNL, a drive into the right-center gap that got tracked down in the third. BNL’s last six outs were strikeouts.
“We struck out a lot,” Callahan said. “You have to protect the plate. If it’s close, you have to be swinging at it. It was unfortunate. When you don’t punt the ball in play, it’s tough. Playing with the lead is a lot different than playing from behind, even if it’s just one run.“
“I would have liked to be a little sharper in the zone, but Blaine has been doing that all year,” LaDuke said. “He has that capability, even though you get on base, you still have to get a hit to get them in.”
BNL bid farewell to its huge senior class (10 players) and its head coach, as Callahan announced his retirement earlier this season. Floyd Central advanced to the one-game regional, with the opponent and site to be determined on Wednesday, after securing its 15th sectional crown in program history.
“It’s never easy,” LaDuke said. “I got tired of saying that when we got beat. It’s a tough road. That’s how good our sectional is and how good our conference teams are. Sometimes people don’t understand that.”
