Ryan Rayburn
After having games postponed because of bad weather the three previous nights, Columbus North was anxious to get a game in Friday night against Decatur Central.
The Bull Dogs took out their frustrations on Hawks pitching. They pounded out 13 hits in rolling to their second run-rule victory in as many games, a 13-3, five-inning victory.
“All of us were definitely a little irritated getting all of the games canceled,” senior Ryan Rayburn said. “We were just wanting to play. So it was really exciting coming out here and being able to play tonight.”
Rayburn started on the mound and pitched three shutout innings for North (2-0). He also went 2 for 2 at the plate.
“Our whole goal was to come out here and dominate just like we did opening day,” Rayburn said. “We had a good approach at the plate. We started off the game strong, had no errors and just were getting ahead in the count.”
The Bull Dogs scored five times in the first, four in the second and three in the third and led 12-0. Lane Schrader threw a scoreless fourth, but then Decatur Central (3-1) reached Zach McLean for three runs in the fifth to extend the game — but only for a matter of minutes.
McLean led off the bottom of the fifth with a single and went to second when Jackson Newman tried to sacrifice him and reached on a bunt single. Javier Martinez Uscampa then sacrificed the runners to second and third, and McLean came home on a wild pitch.
“We treated the last at bat there up nine trying to put ourself in a situation where we could win a ballgame,” North coach Mike Bodart said. “So we challenged the guys to do that — get somebody on, get them over and get them in — and that’s what we did. We passed the baton on, so to speak, and did our job.”
North jumped on Hawks starter Michael Garrison for five runs on six hits in the first. Connor Hensley had a two-run double, and Joey Fry and had two-out RBI-singles and Dillon James drew a bases-loaded walk.
Fry smacked a two-run triple, and Emmitt had an RBI-double in the four-run second. McLean came through with a two-run double in the three-run third.
Fry finished 2 for 2 with three RBIs, Hensley went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and Emmitt went 2 for 2. McLean went 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
Rayburn, Schrader and McLean combined on a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts in five innings.
“I think we have a good team out here, a good group of guys,” Rayburn said. “So as long as we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll be all right.”
The Bull Dogs, who opened the season Monday with a win against Roncalli, saw games postponed against East Central on Tuesday, at Jeffersonville on Wednesday and against Bloomington North on Thursday. The home game against Bloomington North, which could go a long way in deciding the Conference Indiana title, has been rescheduled for Wednesday.
“That was frustrating with the field conditions and how they deteriorated (Thursday) after they had a little work done on them,” Bodart said. “Just playing on the natural surface causes situations like that the last couple days where we couldn’t get out there.”
