Lafayette Central Catholic Secures Fifth Consecutive Sectional Title with Dominant Win

CRAWFORDSVILLE — Demonstrating their skill and resilience, the No. 11 ranked Lafayette Central Catholic (24-6) celebrated their fifth straight sectional championship on Monday, June 1, with an impressive 8-0 victory over No. 15 North Montgomery.

Head coach Tim Bordenet emphasized that the team’s success stems from a consistent daily routine. “It’s just about consistency every day,” Bordenet remarked. “Put the work in and don’t try to do anything that we haven’t done all year. We faced great competition all season to prepare us for anything in this tournament, and I thought our guys stepped up to the challenge.”

Central Catholic maintained their strong defensive strategy throughout the game. After North Montgomery (21-9) opened with a hit, the Knights quickly shut them down, recording three consecutive outs. The team limited North Montgomery to just two more hits for the remainder of the match.

In the fourth inning, North Montgomery went three up, three down, and a double play involving Luke Whitford, Mike Stapleton, and Colton Guyer concluded the fifth inning efficiently. Reflecting on their performance, Stapleton noted, “It’s always been an expectation that the defense is going to be lock down. We don’t always have the big bats, but we know that if we get two runs on the board, then it’s a ball game because our defense gets the job done.”

Gus Sandberg also shared thoughts on the team’s winning mentality. “This is a staple here. We expect to win sectional championships, but it still feels great to win one. We’re fortunate to have won a lot of these because not every team has the chance to get here, so we don’t take it for granted.” Sandberg earned the win on the mound, striking out three while issuing one walk.

Looking ahead to the regional championship against Lapel (16-7) scheduled for Saturday, June 6, Stapleton expressed confidence in his team’s ability to face any challenge. “We’ve had to deal with that target on our back all year,” he stated. “It’s nothing new, and we love it. We love the noise. We love playing in this type of environment and taking on any team at their home field with their best pitcher. This team is ready for any challenge.”