CENTERVILLE, Ind. – Northeastern’s baseball team now has its chance for redemption as the Knights will face Knightstown in Monday’s finale of the Class 2A Sectional at Centerville.
Northeastern defeated the host Bulldogs 8-4 on Thursday to advance, while the Panthers (19-8) won 4-1 over Winchester in the other semifinal contest to set up the a title rematch at 7 p.m.
“We want another shot at them,” Northeastern Head Coach Steve Bray said as he remembered last year’s 5-3 loss to Knightstown in the title contest. “That’s what they’re gearing up for.”
On Thursday, the Knights (14-10) managed to bounce back from a 6-2 loss to Centerville in the Wayne County Tournament championship game earlier this month.
“They really elevated their game,” Bray said. “We got in a little bit of trouble, but got out of (the jams) without getting hurt.”
“Our kids knew in the back of their minds, if we played better, we could beat them,” Bray continued. “They were really hungry.”
From the other dugout, one thing stood out for Centerville Head Coach Tracey Crull.
“You can’t leave 14 runners on base,” he said. “We got the runners there, but just couldn’t get the big hit to break through.”
Bailey Stewart, Garrett Dill and Dylan Baker led Northeastern with two hits each, while Logan Lawhorn knocked in three runs.
Mason Fisher earned the win for the Knights on the mound as he worked into the sixth inning. Nolan Witte got the loss for the Bulldogs.
Seniors Jack Willis and Justyn North led Centerville (10-11) with two hits each, while Logan Moistner, Devin Christian and Rickey Torres also finished their careers with the Bulldogs.
“The seniors came up big,” Crull said. “I really wanted the sectional championship for them. I was really proud of them.”
Northeastern led 4-0 after the Knights batted in the top of the third, but the Bulldogs answered as they closed the gap to 4-3 in the bottom of the frame.
However, the Knights added three runs in the fifth to extend their advantage to 7-3. Both teams added their runs in the sixth.