The Noblesville Millers always look forward to their Spring Break trip to Tennessee. Whether it's the Farragut Invitational or the Diamond Demarini Invitational that Justin Keever's squad played in this year, the Millers make a good showing of themselves and let our neighbors a couple states south of us that the state of Indiana can play baseball too!
From my stance as the public address voice of Noblesville Miller baseball, I have the privilege of having a birds eye view where I'm perched directly behind home plate in the press box at Dunker Field. Each and every spring break trip that the Millers take to show off Millerball to the rest of the Midwest, it helps them prepare for the grind that is the Hoosier Crossroads Conference.
It can honestly be considered a growing up set of games for every part of Justin Keever's team. The 2014 Millers consist of 10 seniors, 6 juniors and 4 sophomores. With 14 of 20 players having previous varsity experience, there is plenty of leadership that will get this group as far as they want to go this season.
4A #7 Noblesville 12, Hardin Valley Academy (TN) 7 - (Thurs. April 10)
Noblesville 1 0 1 3 0 0 7 - 12 14 2
Hardin VA 3 1 0 2 1 0 0 - 7 11 1
Noblesville knew right away that they would be tested in their first game on the four-game trip to Tennessee. Playing at Hardin Valley Academy, instead of a neutral site, would be an obstacle that the Millers would just have to figure out a way to overcome. Hardin Valley was ranked as the 3A #7 team according to the Tennessee Baseball Report and 3A #9 in the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association poll.
Plating one run in the top of the first, the Millers got the nervousness out of the way, but it wasn't long until Hardin Valley knew it had to defend its home turf.
Hardin Valley put three runs on the board in the home half of the first and tacked on another in the bottom of the second for a 4-1 lead through two innings.
The Millers put together four runs to Hardin Valley Academy's two during the 3rd and 4th innings. Hardin Valley added another to go up 7-5 after five.
Something happened as the Millers went to bat in the top of the 7th. Faced on the wrong side of a 7-5 score, there was something that occurred in the Noblesville dugout that sparked the offense to arise to the occasion.
Crazy as it was when the Millers tallied a 10-run fourth against New Castle in the season/home opener, a similar situation occurred in Noblesville's opener of the Tennessee trip.
Noblesville was able to put together a comeback that Hardin Valley Academy hadn't been on the receiving end of in quite some time. The Millers offense exploded for 7 runs in the top of the 7th and shut down the hosts in their final at-bat, winning with a come-from-behind 12-7 victory.
Andrew Wilson and Zach St. Pierre, drove in five of the 12 Miller runs, but weren't the only highlights in the NHS stats. Garrett Christman and Dax McLochlin each tagged the HVA pitching staff for three hits.
Zach St. Pierre started and pitched a good game, but was slightly roughed up during his four innings. The senior southpaw struck out 4, scattered seven hits, walked three and allowed 6 runs (4 earned).
It may have fully been a coming out party for sophomore reliever Cory Conway, won go the win. Also a lefty, Conway tossed three great innings. He gave up just four hits and walked one. Cory got in a zone though, fanning 7 and allowing just one HVA base runner to score.
Dobyns-Bennett 13, 4A #7 Noblesville 1 - (Friday, April 11)
Noblesville 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Dobyns-Bennett 4 4 0 4 1 X - 13 7 0
The Millers faced their toughest test yet in 2014 in Dobyns-Bennett.
Starter Trevor Salmon got roughed up through 1.1 innings, giving up 7 runs (6 earned), but only one hits off of him. The senior southpaw allowed five walks and only struck out a pair of Dobyns-Bennett hitters.
Taking over in the a hole in the second, junior Connor Adams felt the same pain that Salmon did. Adams worked just 1.2 innings, giving up 6 hits and 5 runs (all earned), while walking one.
Tyler Gamble also made his season debut, throwing the final two, walking four, but also struck out four.
Noblesville's offense could only muster up 5 hits.
This reality check dropped the Millers to 4-2 on the season and 1-1 on the trip after two games.
4A #7 Noblesville 7, Christian Academy of Knoxville (CAK) 3 - (Saturday, April 12)
Noblesville Millers 2 3 0 0 0 0 2 - 7 9 0
Christian Academy 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 - 3 7 0
The one thing to do after being blown out the night before? You guessed it right. Jump right on the next opponent early and keep them at a distance while you hold on for victory. That's exactly what Noblesville did in their bounce back win against the Christian Academy of Knoxville, who came in ranked as the 2A #2 team, according to the Tennessee Baseball Report.
Garrett Christman threw an absolute gem on the mound and hit teammates did everything to back him up and make sure things came out victorious for the Millers. A complete game of 7 innings, 3 runs (all earned), 7 hits (1 HR), all while striking out 7 and not yielding a single walk.
Andrew Wilson kept up his extremely consistent hitting, going 3-for-4, all of them being extra-base hits. Two RBI-doubles and a solo home run were just the tip of the iceberg for Noblesville.
Dax McLochlin also chipped in with an RBI-double of his own, but those two were shaded by an addition to the Miller O.
Vincent Essig was back in the Millers' lineup after sitting out the first six games of the season. It was obvious that he was itching to get back into the lineup. The junior middle infielder smacked a two-run home run that would be a deciding factor in leading the Millers to victory over the Christian Academy of Knoxville on a very big stage, 7-3.
Both of Noblesville's games on Saturday, April 12 were played at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, the home of the Tennessee Volunteers' baseball team.
4A #7 Noblesville 3, Knoxville West 1 - Saturday, April 12
Noblesville 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 - 3 7 1
Knoxville West 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 - 1 5 1
Just like he sealed the Miller Invitational with his work on the mound, Dax McLochlin did it again in Noblesville's final game on their 2014 trip to the Diamond Demarini Invitational. Dax commanded the local squad in Knoxville West, as they collided at Nelson Stadium in Knoxville.
Dax stayed on the mound for 6 solid innings of work, giving up just 5 hits and one run (earned), striking out a pair and one walk. Cory Conway got another inning and got out of it unblemished.
The Millers didn't require the most offensive output against Knoxville West. Once again, Wilson was back at it, as he was throughout the weekend. The Noblesville senior outfielder went 2-of-3 and stole a couple bases vs. West in his leadoff spot.
It didn't go unnoticed at all that Vincent Essig was able to make his presence known in the 7-slot of the lineup for Noblesville. Missing the first six games of the season, Essig is definitely making up for lost time and having to watch his teammates.
Essig slugged his 2nd home run of the day in consecutive games to help the Millers hold off Knoxville West, 3-1.
Noblesville's stat leaders for the Diamond Demarini Invitational...
Andrew Wilson: 7-14, 6 RBIs, 2 2Bs, solo HR, 5 runs, 2 SBs
Dax McLochlin: 5-14, 2 RBIs, 2 SBs, run; 6 IP, 2 Ks, Win vs. Knoxville West
Zach St. Pierre: 3-11, 3B, 3 RBIs; 4 IP 4 Ks
Garrett Christman: 5-12, RBI, 3 runs, 2 SBs; (7 IP, 7 Ks, 0 BB in Win vs. CAK)
Vincent Essig: 2-4 3 RBIs, 2 HRs, 2 runs (2 games)
Cory Conway: 4 IP, 4 H, 7 Ks, walk, run (7Ks in Win vs. Hardin Valley)
Upcoming this week for Noblesville...
This week is an extremely tough week to come into out of spring break and entering Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
The Millers (6-2) come in this week sticking steady as the 4A #7 ranked team. It gets no easier, simply because the HCC is one of the toughest conferences, if not the toughest, from top to bottom. On Wednesday, April 16, Noblesville heads to Fishers for a 6 p.m. first pitch. Thursday, April 17, the Tigers (8-0-1) take a return trip to Noblesville and the two will tangle for the second straight day at 6 p.m. Fishers comes in at #13 in this week's 4A poll.
Saturday night brings two great communities together to put forth the effort to see who can raise the most money in a joint effort for cancer. Carmel (2-0) and Noblesville (6-2) will be fighting for a victory while their fans are emptying their pockets in contributing what they can toward cancer. This is the battle for the oar and the White River Rivalry that continues for a 7 p.m. game time at Dunker Field, The Dunk, proud home of Noblesville Miller baseball!
Unfortunately, I was unable to make the trip to Tennessee for these four Spring Break games. I'd like to thank Noblesville varsity assistant coach Jason Giordano for providing me with the stats needed to put this blog post together.
As said before, if you like what you're reading, feel free to give me a follow on Twitter. My handle is @MillerVoiceNDCB.
GO MILLERS!
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