The Bedford North Lawrence baseball team did a better job of taking advantage of its opportunities than Seymour did in the semifinals of the Seymour Class 4A Sectional at American Legion Field Saturday afternoon.

The Stars bunched together five hits to score four runs in the sixth inning for a 4-0 win.

Starting pitchers Mikey Wright of the Owls and Walker Ward of the Stars were in complete control through five innings.

Wright scattered three hits and one walk to go along with seven strike pouts through five. Ward walked the first two batters he faced, Wright and Jack Pennington in the first, and gave up a double to Pennington in the third and a single to Tylan Nicholson in the fourth, but he struck out seven Owls, including at least one every inning, to keep the game scoreless.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Cam Gates and Ryker Hughes hit back-to-back singles. After Wright registered his eighth strike out, Carter Bennett hit a fly ball between right fielder Mack Longmeier and the right field line.

Longmeier raced over and got his glove on the ball, but was unable to hold onto the ball when he hit the ground and rolled over, and both runners scoring.

The Stars added two more hits and two more runs in the inning.

Bret Perry had a single for the Owls in the bottom of the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Brady Harpe walked, Shotaro Takeuchi had a pinch-hit single, and Aaron Holt walked to load the bases with no outs.

BNL relief pitcher Hughes then recorded two strike outs and a fly out to the first baseman to end the game.

The Owls stranded two runners each in the first and third innings, left the bases loaded in the seventh and left eight on for the game.

Seymour Coach Jeremy Richey spoke on the difference in the game.

“They executed in the big moments, and we didn’t get it done,” Richey said. “We had several opportunities as well and didn’t get it done and they came through on their part.”

“We knew it was two even teams and it was going to come down to stuff like that and unfortunately we just didn’t get it done today.”

Richey said Ward is a tough left-handed pitcher.

“We were prepared for that,” he said. “I thought it would be similar for what it was on Wednesday (against New Albany) where we struggled early and we would find it.

“We just never really got to it, and weren’t able to play the style that we needed to play to win because we got out so early with no outs and one out that it kind of limited what we were capable doing. I thought we would have a big hit in there. We just never got it.”

Pennington and Perry were the only Owls to get on base twice as Pennington walked in the first and doubled in the third, and Perry was walked intentionally in the third and single in the sixth.

The Owls finished 15-8 while the Stars took a record of 16-11 into Monday’s championship game against Floyd Central beginning at 11 a.m. The Highlanders defeated Jennings County 14-3 on Saturday evening in the other semifinal matchup.

Seymour Sectional — Semifinal

Bedford NL (16-11) vs. Seymour (15-8)

Bedford NL; 4

Seymour; 0

Seymour hits: 1-Jasck Pennington, Bret Perry, Tylan Nicholson, Shotaro Takeuchi

Seymour pitching: Mikey Wright 5.2 IP, 7 HG, 4 R, 8 K, 1 BB, Gavin Leavy 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K, 0 B