Photo by Travis David | Sullivan senior Lexi Grindstaff puts a ball into play during a game earlier this week. On Wednesday, Grindstaff delivered the game-winning RBI single against Edgewood.

BY TRAVIS DAVID

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SOFTBALL

SULLIVAN 1, Edgewood 0: In a battle of state-ranked teams, the Class 2A No. 12 Lady Arrows slipped past their Western Indiana Conference rivals Wednesday evening.

Lexi Grindstaff came up with the game-winning RBI single with two outs in the last of the sixth inning.

Sophomore Mylee Vandevender started the sixth with a lead-off single and stole second. After a flyout, Vandevender raced to third on a groundout, setting up Grindstaff’s heroics. The Lincoln Trail College signee delivered a 1-2 pitch to center.

Kate Ridgway worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to complete the shutout. The University of Evansville signee turned in her best pitching performance of the season by tossing a 1-hitter. The southpaw shutdown the 3A No. 14 ranked Mustangs by recording 11 strikeouts and issuing just one walk.

Ridgway, Cacey Shorter and Addi Fosdick all recorded singles for the Lady Arrows. 

Sullivan has won four straight to improve to 10-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

NORTH CENTRAL 7, North Knox 3: A six-run second inning helped propel the Ladybirds to the non-conference win Wednesday right on the road. 

Freshman Hayden Crooks started the North Central second inning by legging out an infield single. Olivia Rehmel followed with a walk before Crooks raced home on a Warriors fielding error.

The miscue, off the bat of Shelby Seay, opened the floodgates. A second Warrior fielding error loaded the bases before Mykenzie Wence roped a 3-run double to the gap in right-center field for a 4-1 lead.

The final two Ladybird runs of the frame came on a third NK fielding error this time on a flyball off the bat of Brynn Varner.

Mattilynn Ashley pulled the hosts to within 6-2 with an RBI triple in the fourth inning, scoring Ally Crist. Ashley would later score in the inning on a passed ball.

Wence capped the scoring in the top of the seventh with an RBI groundout, scoring Seay who led off the frame with a bloop single.

Javen Miller added a double in the loss for the Warriors (4-4).

Varner picked up the win for the Ladybirds, pitching the first four innings. The senior allowed just two hits and fanned five batters.

Wence recorded the final nine outs, including six strikeouts to earn the save.

North Central improved to 5-3 on the season.

BASEBALL

Edgewood 20, Sullivan 1: The visiting Mustangs scored five runs in the second inning to take control on Wednesday night’s Western Indiana Conference contest. Carrying a comfortable 10-1 lead heading into the top of the fifth, Edgewood capped the game by hanging a 10-spot on the Arrows.

The Mustangs needed just 11 hits to score their 20 runs and took advantage of five Sullivan errors and 11 base on balls.

Isaak Osborne and Marcus Roshel registered the only two hits of the game for the Arrows.

Barr-Reeve 6, North Knox 1: Looking to score wins over Top-5 ranked teams on back-to-back nights, the Warriors came up short Wednesday night.

The Class 1A No. 3 ranked Vikings scored single tallies in the first, third and sixth innings while also adding three runs in the last of the fifth.

Tyler Clark accounted for the Warriors’ lone run of the game with an infield RBI single in the top of the seventh. Levi Pahmeier started the inning by reaching on a fielding error and scored on Clark’s single.

Camden McCory and Korbin Jones followed with singles to load the bases for Clark with no outs. 

The Warriors could not do any further damage in the frame as a popup, flyout and strikeout ended the threat and the game.

Kaleb Archer had two hits in the loss.

The Vikings, who reached the Class 1A state championship game last season, outhit the Warriors, 10-5.

Parke Heritage 15, North Central 5: The visiting Wolves four runs in the first and fifth innings while also putting up five runs in the fourth and never let the T-Birds in the game.

Trailing 13-1 heading into the last of the fifth inning, North Central avoided the mercy rule by scoring three runs.

Kagan Taylor recorded a pair of hits in the loss while Adam Farmer and Hayden Schultz both added a double. Schultz also scored a run and recorded a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning.

Braelon Perez and Lane Phegley both had an RBI by drawing bases-loaded walks.

North Central fell to 0-7 on the season.