ELKHART — Sophomores Tanner Tully and Matt Eppers had career nights for the Elkhart Central High School baseball team in a 15-5 win over the Northridge Raiders in the championship game of a Class 4A sectional Monday night at Memorial.

The Central Blue Blazers erupted for seven extra base hits, including three home runs, in the six-inning victory.

“We brought Tully,” said Central coach Steve Stutsman. “It took us a little while to get going, but once we got some confidence we were all right. Hitting is contagious. Once one player starts others catch on.”

Central (22-5) advances to the meet the winner of the Lake Central-Highland game Saturday in the LaPorte regional.

Tully was a hitting standout for the Blue Blazers with a grand slam home run in the second inning after Northridge had take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first and he ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a three-run shot to almost the same spot in left center.

“Tully has 10 doubles, nine triple and nine home runs on the season,” said Stutsman.

Eppers had a two-run double in the fourth as Central extended its lead to 8-3 and a two-run home run in the sixth.

“You can’t narrow a baseball game to just one player, everyone contributed,” said Eppers. “We were looking four our pitch and then trying to put the bat on the ball. Our batting order is strong from top to bottom. When the top of the order doesn’t come through then the bottom does and if the bottom doesn’t come through the top will.”

Northridge finishes 16-13.

“We jumped on Central early on, but our pitchers started falling behind in the count. We walked too many guys and Central is too good of a hitting team to do that,” said Northridge coach Andrew Brabender.

“Central’s top three hitters (Tully, sophomore Cory Malcom and junior Adam Raifsnider) are as good as any we have seen all year. We knew coming into this game we would have to be sharp and we were not sharp.”

The Raiders took the lead in the first as senior Garett Yoder had a sacrifice fly and classmate Dominic DeVito a run-scoring double.

Northridge scored a solo run in the third as junior Jordan Carithers scored on a throwing error.

After Central took an 8-3 lead, but Northridge closed the gap to 8-5 when Carithers blasted a two-run homer in the fifth.

“Northridge is a good team and they made it close for awhile,” said Stutsman. “Northridge has been playing good baseball over the last three weeks. But our team has been so resilient this season. We went 17 days without a game and then have been playing four or five nights per week as of late.”

Sophomore Riley Futterknect was the starting pitcher for Central. He pitched for 4-plus innings before being relieved by senior Joey Dobson.

“Riley gave us just what we wanted tonight,” said Stutsman.

Senior Patrick Smith had two doubles, junior Ronald Hawkins one and sophomore Austin McCart two singles and two RBI for the Blue Blazers.

“Hawkins, Eppers and McCart all stepped up big time for us,” said Stutsman.

Northridge loses seniors Daimon Buck, Dominic DeVito, Drew Hunsberger, Charlie Ottinger and Garett Yoder to graduation.

“I can’t begin to tell you how much we are going to miss them,” said Bradbender. “It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to them. Four of them have started since they were sophomores.”

Linescore

Northridge    201 020 — 5-5-1

Central                           040 416 — 15-12-1

Pitching: (Central) Riley Futterkenct, four strikeouts and two walks and Joey Dobson, two strikeouts. (Northridge) TJ Miller, Kyle Yoder and Blake Fry.

Hitting: (Central) Tanner Tully two home runs and seven RBI, Matt Eppers home run, double and four RBI; Patrick Smith two doubles. Ronald Hawkins double and two singles, Austin McCart two singles and two RBI, Jack Bernaccki single and an RBI. (Northridge) Jordan Carithers home run, single and two RBI; Dominic DeVito double and an RBI, Garett Yoder single and an RBI, Daimon Buck single.