File photo by Travis David | North Central senior Lilli Gaines puts a ball in play during a game earlier this season. On Monday, Gaines recorded three hits and drove home a run in the Ladybirds' win at North Vermillion.

BY TRAVIS DAVID

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SOFTBALL

NORTH CENTRAL 17, North Vermillion 5: After letting an early 4-0 lead slip away, the Ladybirds’ offense erupted for 13 runs in the third and fourth innings in Monday night’s road win.

With the win, North Central improved to 8-3 on the season and have won a season-best four straight games.

The Ladybirds also pounded out a season-high 20 hits in the romp.

Shelby Seay, Emmy Woodruff, Mykenzie Wence and Lilli Gaines all wrapped up three hits.

All three of Wence’s knocks went for two-baggers and Seay recorded a triple.

Woodruff and Brynn Varner knocked home three runs apiece with Varner recording a pair of doubles.

Seay and Hayden Crooks both accounted for two RBI.

During the Ladybirds’ seven-run fourth inning, Crooks, Olivia Rehmel, Woodruff and Varner all recorded run-scoring hits.

All nine starters for North Central registered at least one hit, including two from No. 9 hitter Brynley Grabbe. 

Wence pitched all five innings and fanned 10 batters in the win.

BASEBALL

Bedford North Lawrence 8, Shakamak 2: The Class 4A Stars put a stop to the Lakers’ 6-game winning streak Monday night. BNL scored three runs in both the first and fourth innings in the win.

Trailing 5-0, Shakamak tried to claw its way back into the game in the top of the fourth inning.

Freshman Jalen Johnson put the Lakers on the board with an RBI single scoring Madden Husband. After Jax Cox worked a walk to load the bases, Ian Samm scampered home on a wild pitch, pulling the Lakers to within 5-2. But the rally came to an end on the next pitch with an inning-ending groundout.

BNL all but put the game away in the last of the fourth with a 2-out, three-run home run to cap the scoring.

Linden Jenkins wrapped a one-out double in the fifth but was left on base. In the sixth, the Lakers had two runners on and just one out after a pair of errors, but a double play ended the threat.

Shakamak went down in order in the seventh.

Jaden Johnson and Madden Husband recorded singles in the loss. 

Shakamak fell to 7-5 on the season with four of the losses coming against 4A programs.

Vincennes Lincoln 7, North Knox 2: In a Knox County battle, the visiting Alices sent the Warriors to a third-straight loss Monday night. 

After posting single tallies in the first and third innings, Lincoln used a 5-spot in the top of the fifth inning to take total control with the 7-0 lead.

Braxton Yenne and Korbin Jones recorded RBI doubles in the home half of the fifth innings for the lone scores for the hosts. 

After Jones’ run-scoring hit, Tyler Clark followed with a single to give the Warriors two runners on, but a fielder’s choice ended the threat.

North Knox threatened once again in the sixth inning with a pair of base hits but the frame ended when a Warrior runner was picked off second base.

North Knox went down in order in the seventh.

Lead-off hitter Eli Elkins and Clark recorded a pair of knocks in the Warriors’ 7-hit attack.

Rylan Oxby also recorded a single in the loss.

NORTH CENTRAL 10, North Vermillion 5: The T-Birds scored four times in the top of the first inning and never looked back in Monday’s win on the road.

Gaven Simmons capped the scoring in the first inning with a 2-run double.

Hayden Schultz added an RBI single in the third for a 7-1 lead. Schultz finished the game with a pair of hits, scored twice and swiped a pair of bags.

Greydyn Walters also scored a pair of runs in the win, while Malakai Urbain, Ian Ladson, Kagan Taylor and Rylan Cox all recorded singles for the T-Birds. Taylor and Urbain were also credited with two stolen bases.

Walters earned the win by pitching 3.1 innings of relief and struck out five batters.

With the win, North Central improved to 2-8 on the year.

BOYS GOLF

NORTH CENTRAL 208, Clay City 213: The T-Birds picked up their second straight win on Monday at the Sullivan Elks.

Devan Schimmel also earned his second straight medalist award by carding a 9-hole score of 46 to pace North Central. Schimmel’s score was three strokes better than teammate Will Wells and Clay City’s Zane Paddock, who tied for second overall. 

Owen Thacker and Tucker Mitchell rounded out the T-Birds’ scoring with a 55 and 58, respectively.  

Terre Haute North 166, Sullivan 188: The Arrows carded their season-best score, by one stroke, but it was not good enough to overcome the Patriots on Monday. 

Conner Bishop paced North with a 9-hole score of 39 to earn medalist honors.

Sullivan senior Hunter Pirtle shot his season-best score with a 41, finishing second overall.

Sophomore Eli Van Ness was second on the Arrows with a 46, while Lincoln Riley and Zander Ferro rounded out the scoring with a 49 and 52, respectively.

Princeton Community 177, North Knox 192: In a triangular on their home course at High Pointe Country Club, the Warriors finished second to the Tigers. Washington Catholic also participated but did not have a complete team.

Yogi Cardinal paced the Warriors with a round of 44 which was three shots off the pace for medalist honors.

Blake Goodwin carded a 48 which was good for second on the Warriors, two shots better than Kaden Boyles. Hunter Noonan rounded out the scoring with a 53.

“We had a better performance than the last time out (at Prides Creek), but playing on our home course I was hoping for a bigger bounce back,” Warriors’ coach Brent Noonan said. “We are just struggling with our consistency, but we will get back to work tomorrow and prepare for two more matches this week.”