Nine runs in the first inning really gave the Millers a confidence boost for the rest of the game and all of the first game jitters seemed like they were barely present, if at all.
With just two starters in the lineup, Conner Christman and Dax McLochlin, returning from the 2014 state championship team, many questions arose about who would replace different graduates that helped guide Noblesville to that magical state tournament run.Who would take the place of the solid pitching rotation that the Millers had that got them to where they got to last season? That is one question that is going to have to work itself out throughout the season. The only pitching experience that's back from last season is senior starter Dax McLochlin and third-year reliever in junior Cory Conway. Will Plumer is back for his senior season after missing a majority of 2014 with an injury.
It's also a brand new outfield this season. Three-year starter in CF, Brian McLean, is unable to participate this season due to off-the-field actions that cannot be disclosed and Andrew Wilson (LF) and Zack St. Pierre (RF) graduated. Two-year middle infield starter Vinny Essig will miss half of the regular season as a result of violating team rules off the field.
Their replacements have a lot to live up to. Austin Shirley got the starting nod in center tonight and played a pretty solid game. Travis Gillian, who was on the state tournament roster as a backup infielder last season, also stepped in with a nice, comfortable varsity debut.
4A #3 Noblesville 13, New Castle 0 (5 inn.) (March 30 - at The Dunk, Noblesville)
Trojans 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 2 2
Millers 9 2 2 0 x - 13 9 0
Dax McLochlin is the top returning starting pitcher and 11th year head coach Justin Keever and pitching coach Caleb Small called upon the senior to take to the hill for the season opener.
It took four pitches for Dax to mow down lead-off hitter Garrett Welch. Second baseman Caleb Matthews hit a bloop single into shallow left field, but was forced out for the final out on a fielder's choice by Jared Heard and New Castle left one runner on in the top of the first.
Then, came the early offensive show by the Millers.Austin Shirley led off with a walk, followed by the same plate appearance from DH Bryce Masterson. McLochlin relaxed and took a 2-0 pitch deep over the center fielder's head, duplicating his game-winning RBI triple that was the deciding run in the state championship back on June 20th. This time, Dax drove in Shirley and Masterson for a two-run triple and an early 2-0 Miller lead.
Two outs on the board after Conner Christman's K, Travis Gillian dropped a single just in front of the LF Heard, scoring McLochlin for a 3-0 score.
The Millers weren't even close to done.
With Gilliam aboard, Alec Parker stroked a nice RBI-single down the left field line and was enough to plate Gilliam for a 4-0 lead. Catcher Alex Cleverly got his bat on the first pitch he saw and drove Parker in and the scoreboard now read 5-0.
Ty Lindstrand walked for runners on first and second and it was back to the top of the order. Shirley notched his first hit of the season, bouncing a single just in front of right fielder, sending both Cleverly and Lindstrand home and it was now 7-0.
Michael Carmosino got his first hit and it was a solid knock over the head of CF Garrett Welch, similar to Dax's triple, scoring Shirley with ease. Masterson smoked a one-hop double to the fence in right center to get Carmo home and Noblesville had stormed out to a 9-0 lead through one full inning.
Dax was a little more comfortable in the second inning, sandwiching a strikeout between two ground-outs to short for a 1-2-3 top of the 2nd.
The Miller bats were back at it against in the home half of the 2nd. Christman started off getting hit by the second pitch he saw. Gillian walked. Parker sent a ground ball to third. Cayden Smekens stepped on the bag to forced Conner out. On his throw across the diamond to first, he overthrew Baze Conway at first, allowing Gillian and Parker to score their second runs of the game each and it was 11-0.
Senior Justin Buchanan came in to relieve McLochlin. It's taken a lot for Buchanan to get himself to the varsity level from where his high school baseball career began and it was obvious that he was itching to hit the mound at The Dunk. The righty mirrored Dax's 2nd inning, putting his lone strikeout between two ground-outs to Carmosino at short to make quick work of the Trojans in the third.
Noblesville added another pair of runs in the 3rd to widen the gap even more. Dax led off the inning with a walk. Gillian singled with one out to move McLochlin over to third for runners at the corners. Parker was hit by a pitch to load the bases. McLochlin and Gillian score the final two runs to make up the eventual 13-0 final score.
Sophomore Harris Camp got the call from the bullpen to pitch the 4th. Walking his first batter, Camp settled down a little and forced Kenny Martin to fly out to left and struck out Heard for two quick outs. A second walk of the inning gave New Castle the most base-runners they had all evening on at once, but that got spoiled when catcher Taylor Matthews grounded out to short to end the inning and any threat of scoring by the Trojans.
Junior southpaw reliever Cory Conway worked the top of the fifth, allowing just one hit to the lead-off hitter Nick Jones. From there, CC had a strikeout and two ground-outs to put the season opener to bed and get the Millers off to a 1-0 start on the year.
Keever, his staff and players leave on Thursday for four games within three days as they'll play some of Tennessee's best baseball teams and one that is ranked nationally most seasons. Below is what Noblesville's spring break trip schedule looks like:
Thursday, 4/2: at #5 Farragut - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, 4/3: at Knoxville West - Noon
Friday, 4/3: at Grace Christian - 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, 4/4: at Brentwood Academy - 10 a.m.
*All 4 games on the Tennessee will be broadcast live on Hamilton County TV! Stay tuned to my twitter (@MillerVoiceNDCB) for details on the specific channel on HCTV.
*For full coverage of the Noblesville Millers while in Tennessee, turn to the team's twitter (@MillerBaseball) and (@MillerVoiceNDCB).
Until Thursday night...
GO MILLERBALL! WAT!
No comments:
Post a Comment