Columbus North High School

May 27, 2023 - After a first round bye in the East Central baseball Sectional tournament, Columbus North defeated Franklin Community 6-3 to improve to 16-10 overall and advance to Monday’s Sectional championship game against Whiteland. The Warrior advanced with a victory over host East Central in the early game of the Sectional semifinals. Conner Hensley had a pair of hits, including an RBI single that drove in Dillon James in the sixth inning to extend the Bull Dogs’ lead to 6-3 after the Grizzly Cubs had cut a 5-1 early lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Hensley had a total of three RBI for the game. The Bull Dogs exploded for five runs in the top of the second inning, which proved to be all the runs that they would need to defeat the Cubs and advance to the Sectional finals. North used three walks and a hit-by-pitch and a couple of timely singles in the early-game rally. Luke Harmon threw a complete-game, five-hit gem, giving up only one earned run while striking out fourteen batters. The victory improves Harmon’s season record to 4-3 and his team-leading strikeout total to 52. The Bull Dogs and Whiteland will square off at noon on Monday, May 29 at East Central High School for the Sectional championship, with the winner to face the winner of the Mooresville Sectional on June 3. Photo: Luke Harmon struck out 14 batters on his way to a 6-3 Columbus North victory over Franklin in the semifinals of the East Central Sectional. The Bull Dogs will face Whiteland on Monday at noon.