BASEBALL: Red Devils suffer rough loss at No. 7 BNL 9-3

By KEVIN HARRIS

kevinharris1972@gmail.com

BEDFORD – Jeffersonville’s roller-coaster season continued Saturday at Stars Field.

The Red Devils dropped their second consecutive game in a 9-3 loss at Class 4A No. 7 Bedford North Lawrence. Jeff (4-5) began the season losing its first three contests, followed by winning its next four games.

Leading 1-0, the Stars (11-2) scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. In the frame, Bedford collected four hits and benefitted from two Red Devil errors.

Jeff got its first run in the top of the third, cutting the Stars’ advantage to 5-1. But BNL got its advantage back to five in the bottom half, as it scored a run thanks to a Red Devil error with two outs. For the game, Jeff committed four errors.

In the top of the fourth, the Devils plated two runs to pull within 6-3 thanks to a Bedford error with two outs. But the Stars put the game away with three runs in the fifth and sixth innings combined.

“We are a bad baseball team - a very bad baseball team - right now,” Jeff head coach Derek Ellis told the Times-Mail in Bedford after the game. “We have some talent, but they aren’t playing like it at all right now. If we’re going to give quality teams like BNL extra outs and make our pitchers have to throw extra pitches, this is what’s going to happen to you.”

Jeff junior Ethan English had an efficient game at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a double. Red Devil senior Cam Northern was the losing pitcher. In five innings of work, Northern allowed seven runs (three earned) on 10 hits. He recorded six strikeouts, while issuing no walks.

Bedford starter Tanner McBride earned the win, as he stayed undefeated at 4-0. The senior yielded three runs (none earned) on six hits. McBride walked four Red Devils and struck out one.

The Stars’ Brody Tanksley and Brandt Callahan each went 3-for-4. Tanksley had three RBIs and Callahan scored three times. Also for BNL, junior Garrett Ramsey was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI and senior Michael Underwood went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Jeff will host Class 2A No. 3 and defending 2A state champion Providence (12-3) at 7 p.m. Monday.

BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 9, JEFFERSONVILLE 3

Jeff                    001 200 0-3   7 4

Bedford NL      141 012 x-9 13 3

W – Tanner McBride (4-0). L – Cam Northern (1-1). 2B – Drew Taylor (J), Ethan English (J), Michael Underwood (BNL).

Records – Jeff 4-5, BNL 11-2.