Southsider Voice correspondent
Twelve Beech Grove seniors could be wearing their baseball uniforms and shoes, as well as caps and gowns, Saturday morning at commencement.
The Hornets’ success in the state tournament has them on a fast pace. The Danville Sectional champions are scheduled to open the Crawfordsville Regional at 1 p.m. Saturday, leaving little time to rush from their 10 a.m. graduation ceremony to Crawfordsville.
Beech Grove plays the winner of the Owen Valley Sectional, which was to have been determined Tuesday between Edgewood and Northview. The regional championship game is at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Hornets won their second sectional title in three years by dominating Tri-West 12-8. Earlier Saturday, BG shut out Crawfordsville 3-0 at Danville.
Beech Grove (10-12) opened with an eight-run attack in the first inning against Tri-West. The Hornets amassed 18 hits en route to the school’s sixth sectional title. The seniors made amends Saturday for losing the 2013 sectional title game.
“One of our team goals was to win the sectional this year after losing the championship game last year,” coach Doug Walters said. “We have everyone healthy at the right time. Last week we had some of our best practices.”
Nick Hendrickson, the No. 4 hitter, went 5-for-5, including two doubles; Jackson Underwood had a double mixed in with his three hits, and shortstop Christian Little reached base four times. Dalton Ledgerwood pitched the first five innings, with Nic Kincaid getting the save.
The Hornets are healthier with the return of Dylan Powell (hip flexor) and catcher Jordan Sloan (arm). Little had been kicked in the head during a collision at second base and was cleared to play Tuesday.
Lutheran captured the Class A Morristown Sectional with a dominating 21-0 win over Waldron (1-12) on Monday in five innings.
Coach Dick Alter’s Saints defeated Baptist Academy 30-1 in five innings and then squeezed out a 3-0 win against Morristown last week. Junior Austin Mays drove in the first run against Morristown in the sixth. The Saints added two insurance runs in the seventh on a third-strike passed ball and a wild throw with two runners on base.
“We have a corps of good players, and we are solid one through nine in our lineup,” Alter said. “We have had good pitching.”
Senior Eli Goff and junior Seth Hougeson, who blanked Morristown, are the mound mainstays. Goff and junior lead-off hitter Addison Robertson have provided the punch at the plate.
Lutheran (20-7) faces Jac-Cen-Del (19-7) in the Morristown Regional at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
In the 4A Whiteland Sectional, the Warriors scored three runs in the first inning and made it last for a 3-2 semifinal win over neighboring Greenwood. The Woodmen finished 6-17.
Rain delays
Heavy rain Monday forced an interruption of several sectional games that were continued Tuesday, but the results were unavailable at press time. Sectional championship games included Southport vs. Ben Davis at Holder Field and Greenwood Christian Academy vs. University at Bethesda Christian.
At Whiteland, Franklin Central held a 1-0 lead against Center Grove in the fourth inning Monday. The winner met Whiteland in the title game Tuesday.
First-round losses last week ended the season for Roncalli (18-8), Perry Meridian (16-8) and Manual (0-13).
(Editor’s note: Team won-lost records provided by IHSAA/MaxPreps.)