It was pretty obvious how hyped up the Millers were to get to the Lafayette Jeff Regional and win two games for the Regional Championship, that the team's 10 seniors said they would rather not participate in commencement exercises on Friday night because their excitement for Saturday's Regional had become the only thing they wanted to do.
The 2014 baseball senior class did in fact walk across the stage and get their high school graduation diplomas in hand on Friday evening and got their weekend started off in grand fashion.
Riding high on a 5-game winning streak heading into Saturday's Regional play in Lafayette, there were many factors that played into the whole day that could make or break this possibility of heading back to the Final 4 for the first time since 2007.
Their Regional semifinal opponent in Homestead, was out for revenge on the Millers. Noblesville out slugged the Spartans two months ago in the championship game of the Miller Invitational, 12-2 in 5 innings.
At this level, there's no way that Homestead would roll over and let Noblesville chalk up another 10-run victory, especially with a Regional championship at stake.
4A #8 Noblesville 7, Homestead 3 - (Regional Semifinal: Loeb Stadium, Lafayette)
Noblesville 0 0 0 2 5 0 0 - 7 7 1
Homestead 0 1 0 2 0 9 0 - 3 7 4
McLean Trieglaff got the start for Homestead and had confidence out of the gate. Forcing Andrew Wilson to fly out to right and striking out Brian McLean and Garrett Christman, the senior right-hander was doing his best to keep the Spartans' postseason run going for head coach Steve Sotir.
Garrett Christman got the call for the Millers to start the semifinal game. G allowed just one hit in the first, but got slightly rattled in the second. Christman walked Luke Landrigan to lead off the 2nd. Two batters later, DJ Moore reached on a fielder's choice, but the Millers got the lead runner Landrigan at second on a force out for the second out. Freshman Matt Anderson got on-base via an error by Connor Christman at third. Homestead tallied their first run on a Drew Lunsford RBI single to left to score Moore for a 1-0 Homestead lead.
In the top of the 4th, it was time for Millerball to get itself on the scoreboard. The jitters were gone and all nervousness had worn off.
Vinny Essig poked a one-out single to shallow left center to get the 4th started. The junior clean-up hitter was able to easily make his way to third on just one play. Trieglaff tried to pick off Essig at 1st, but instead overthrew first baseman Ryan Stephens. The ball went clear over to the fence. By the time Stephens tried to get Vinny at second, his throw went over shortstop Tyler Zimske's head and into left, getting Vinny safely to third with one down.
Zack St. Pierre walked on five pitches for Millers at the corners. A six-pitch at bat by Dax McLochlin produced an RBI-double that scored Essig and moved St. Pierre to third. Tie ball game at 1-1.
St. Pierre got a good jump at third and as soon as Easton Brock hit a choppy grounder to short, Zack was already crossing home to give Noblesville its first lead of the game at 2-1.
Homestead got its last shot at Christman in the bottom of the fourth inning and did their best impression of chasing a starting pitcher right out of the game.
Trieglaff doubled an 0-2 pitch down toward Noblesville's bullpen along the left field line to get the Spartan faithful exciting along the first base side. DJ Moore singled to left to give Homestead runners at the corners with no outs. Matt Anderson was walked to load the bases. And, for the second time in as many at-bats, Drew Lunsford produced once again. The sophomore singled up the middle to send pinch runner Justin Jones home to tie the game 2-2. Moore made his way to third on Lunsford's single and scored on a passed ball to put Homestead up 3-2 through four.
Bret Rundle led off the top of 5 and was hit by a pitch on his left shoulder blade. Pinch runner Matt Swearingen came in to test his speed against Trieglaff.
Andrew Wilson climbed aboard with a fielder's choice. Then, he and Swearingen both advanced bases from a balk by Trieglaff. The Millers had him completely rattled.
McLean walked to load the bags and Keever's crew was in business. Garrett also got on with a fielder's choice, that forced McLean out at 2nd, to score Swearingen to knot the game 3-3.
Essig doubled to get Wilson home for a 4-3 Millers lead that they would keep for good.
The flurry of 5th inning runs for Noblesville continued with a St. Pierre double that scored Christman. Essig and St. P finished off the scoring of the Millers' five-run 5th for a 7-3 lead to put a stranglehold on this semifinal game.
Scoring five runs in the 5th and two runs before that in the 4th was what put the Millers in front, but that isn't what kept Homestead from anything offensively beyond the 4th.
Noblesville sophomore relief pitcher Cory Conway has been a shutdown southpaw when being called upon by head coach Justin Keever and pitching coach Greg Vogt.
Conway took over for G on the mound in the 4th with no outs and wasn't phased in the least bit. Aside from walking two Spartans and a single to Landrigan, Cory couldn't have been any better.
Cool, calm, collected and completely dialed in, Conway mowed down Homestead hitters. The super soph struck out 7, walked two and allowed just one hit over 4 innings of work to get the win and improve his record to 4-1 and Noblesville was now heading to the Regional Championship to face Carroll for the right to head to the Semi-State and the Final 4 next Saturday.
Easton Brock led the Millers with a 2-for-2 game at the plate with an RBI. Andrew Wilson scored 3 runs while going 1-3. McLean, Garrett Christman, Connor Christman, St. Pierre and Wilson made up the rest of the 7 hits.
Homestead finished their 2014 season at 22-10.
Noblesville improved its record to 25-8 and meets up with Carroll (Allen) (22-9) in the Regional Championship at 8 p.m.
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