To start the day on Friday, it was a question of how the Noblesville Millers would respond mentally for their two games during the middle of the day against Knoxville West and Grace Christian Academy. The team found out the news late Thursday night following their 2-0 loss at Farragut that teammate Avrey Rose had lost his battle back home in Noblesville.Avrey Rose was a Noblesville senior and a part of the Miller baseball team. He was close to many members of the team. This baseball family is a very tight knit group. The parents and coaches will help the players get through this extremely tough time in their lives. Losing someone this close is obviously never an easy thing to deal with. Once personnel at Farragut caught wind, they offered grief counselors to anyone that might possibly need it. That's just a small part of hospitality that Noblesville received through this tragic event while on the road.
Prior to the 12:30 first pitch between Knoxville West and Noblesville at Grace Christian Academy, the public address announcer from Grace Christian spoke some very kind words about Avrey, along with having a moment of silence in his memory before the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner.
Noblesville 5, Knoxville West 2 - (Fri. 4/3, 12:30 at Grace Christian Academy - Knoxville, TN)
Rebels 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 - 2 5 0
Millers 0 0 3 1 0 1 x - 5 11 0
Senior Justin Buchanan was called upon to start for Noblesville in Game 1 of the two-game set for the Millers at Grace Christian Academy. Buchanan has worked very hard to get to where he is now at the varsity level.
This particular pitcher thrives on gummy worms being a must-have in the dugout, instead of sunflower seeds, at least for himself to keep going. It must work, to an extent. He told me that he brought 3 bags of gummy worms with him to the ballpark on Friday, which should surely get him through his outing.
Wind became a dominant force on the campus of Grace Christian Academy on Good Friday. Their baseball diamond sits between their newly renovated football stadium and softball field just up the hill. The wind swirled, but that wouldn't affect Buchanan.
He started off his varsity debut by striking out his first two hitters, gaining some confidence with fellow senior Alec Parker catching his pitches behind the plate.
Adam Cupp doubled to left and was immediately driven home by DH Sam Springer on a single up the middle for a 1-0 Knoxville West lead. Noblesville also managed a singled and a double in the home half of the 1st, but weren't able to send them home, as Travis Gilliam flied out to left to end the possibility of a big inning, leaving three on base.
Buchanan sent the Rebels down in order with a pop out, groundout and strikeout to fire up the Miller crowd that made the trip.
After Parker lined out to left to start off the bottom of the 2nd, L.J. Tilley and Jackson Thurman had back-to-back singles before Austin Shirley struckout for the second straight inning. Michael Carmosino walked to load the bags once again, but Bryce Masterson grounded out to Roland Ryan to end the inning and leave three on-base for the second inning in a row.
Aside from plunking a pair of Rebels in the top of the third, Buchanan K'd another West hitter and forced two others to pop out, keeping any more runs from crossing the plate.
Dax McLochlin led off the home half of the 3rd with a single and stole second base on an outside pitch to put himself into scoring position. Three pitches later, Connor Christman lined a single up the middle into center field to score Dax from second to tie it 1-1. Parker came up big in the next at-bat, tripling to the wall in center on one hope, scoring Christman to make it 2-1.
On the play, CF Cole Skvara somehow got his foot stuck under the bottom of the metal wall and he had to get it pryed out with a bat.
Ty Lindstrand came in to courtesy run for the catcher Parker and bolted home on a passed ball for a 3-1 Miller lead after three that they wouldn't give back to the Rebels.
Lead-off hitter Austin Shirley was up first in the bottom of four and singled right by shortstop Adam Cupp. Shirley would score minutes later on another passed ball for a 4-1 score through four.
Cupp led off the top of the 6th with a double about 20-feet beyond Christman at third. Springer drove Cupp in for Knoxville West's second run to cut the deficit to 4-2. Senior reliever Connor Adams came in out of the bullpen to get the final two outs of the 6th, striking out Eli Coe looking and forcing pinch-hitter Christian Millwood into a groundout right back to Adams and he made a nice throw to first for the third out.
Noblesville answered the call and got that run back that they just gave up in the top of the inning. With one away, Carmo reached on an infield single and was quickly able to steal second on Rebels' pitcher Grayson Goble. Two hitters later, McLochlin rifled a hit in the hole between the shortstop and third baseman, scoring Carmosino with ease for the final score of 5-2.
Justin Buchanan earned the win on the mound, tossing 5.1 innings, giving up 5 hits, allowing two runs (both earned), striking out 6 and walking none to earn our Player of the Game award from Hamilton County TV. Connor Adams pitched 1.2 innings, walking one and striking out another to earn the save.
Dax McLochlin led Noblesville (2-1) at the plate with a 3-for-4 game, scoring once and driving in a run while also stealing a base. Bryce Masterson was 2-for-4, while Alec Parker also highlighted the Millers on offense with an RBI-triple and Connor Christman had an RBI-single.
The second game of the day would be at 3pm vs. the host school, Grace Christian Academy.
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