Kelsey Lovelace
A top-five softball matchup lived up to expectations.
Class 4A No. 3 Columbus North and 4A No. 4 Bedford North Lawrence went back-and-forth with the lead a couple times, but the Bull Dogs captured the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning to squeak out a 4-3 victory over the Stars.
It was a pitchers’ duel between North’s Maddi Rutan and BNL’s Annie Waggoner. Rutan finished with 12 strikeouts and allowed three runs and three hits for the win. Waggoner finished with five strikeouts and allowed four runs and seven hits in the loss.
In the top of the second, Rutan struck out the first batter to earn 500 strikeouts for her career, a feat that took the senior 2 1/2 seasons to accomplish due to COVID wiping out her freshman campaign.
Maddi Rutan
After allowing a solo homer to start the game, Rutan retired the next 10 batters and was focused the rest of the game.
“I wasn’t pitching my best (in the first inning), but it happens to everyone. It’s all about how you work through it and how your team carries themselves and how you carry yourself,” Rutan said. “Your team can help you out so much, even when you’re struggling. You have to rely on your team because they’re always going to help you get through everything no matter what.”
North junior Kelsey Lovelace found herself at the top of the lineup Tuesday, and she made the most of the opportunity. She finished 3 for 4 with a double and scored two runs. She also mentioned this was the first hits she’s gotten off Waggoner for her career.
“I was really nervous because I haven’t led off since 10-U (travel softball), so leading off for the team tonight was kind of nerve-racking, but exciting at the same time,” said Lovelace, who also celebrated her 17th birthday Tuesday. “I was really excited, and Maddi’s pitching really shut them down tonight, so that really helps.”
After solo homer from Lauryn Anderson to start the game for the Stars, the Bull Dogs (11-1-1) tied it in the bottom of the second with a solo homer from Payton Morris to make it 1-1. North took the lead in the bottom of the third when Lovelace reached on a double and scored on a BNL error to lead 2-1.
The Stars tied it in the top of the fourth when Waggoner was hit by the pitch, and an RBI-double from Aliza Jewell tied it at 2-2. Bedford North Lawrence went back in the lead when Hayley Davis walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored from an RBI-single by Anderson to lead 3-2.
The Bull Dogs took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth when Lovelace led off with a single. Josie Lemmons then doubled to put runners at second and third. Rutan was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bailey King then hit the sacrifice fly to score Lovelace, but then the Stars committed an error on the throw from home to second base to try to tag out Rutan, and the ball sailed past second and Lemmons scored the game-winning run.
For North, Lemmons was 1 for 3 with a double and Morris was 1 for 3 with a home run.
The win avenges a loss to BNL in Saturday’s Russ Milligan Classic at Center Grove, the Bull Dogs’ only loss of the season. The teams could also meet again in the semistate.
“It was good to get revenge on them and get them back,” Rutan said. “We were a little bit tired from Saturday and didn’t play as well as we could. Tonight, we brought it, and it showed.”
