Hamilton Southeastern started off the year with some pretty solid wins. Their season opened on April 1st and it wasn't an April Fool's joke that they a 13-4 victory over Brebeuf Jesuit. They next took 2 of 3 over Avon to take an early edge in the conference standings.
Playing in a tournament in Louisville over their spring break, the Royals went 2-1. They lost their first game to Nitro (WV) 6-5 in 8 innings, but was able to grab wins from Benjamin Logan (OH) 5-0 and McHenry (IL) 4-1.
Coming back, they took down Carmel 6-1 to improve to 6-2 overall. Following that defeat of the Greyhounds, it seems like the Royals have gone just about completely flat. Taking two of three from their neighbors in the Fishers Tigers, it looked like they might be heading in the right direction at 8-3 overall and 4-2 in HCC play. Then, the slide hit them.
Two losses to Westfield to start that conference series spelled three losses in a row. Sandwich a win in the final game of the series between a 10-3 loss at home to potential Sectional 8 opponent North Central and the slide continued. Zionsville would take the first two in the next HCC series to drop Southeastern to 9-8 (5-6) before salvaging Game 3 to grab their 10th win of the year.
Enter the streaking Noblesville Millers...
The last team that the Royals wanted to see at this point in the season was Noblesville. The Millers suffered two consecutive one-run setbacks at Carmel (7-6) and to McCutcheon 6-5, but now have strung together 3 straight wins over North Central (7-6, 8 inn.) and Jeffersonville (8-0) to win the Miller Classic and 12-0 over 2A #5 Wapahani.
This was their longest streak of the season and that happened in the final three games of the DeMarini Diamond Classic in Knoxville, where Noblesville grabbed wins over Knoxville West (5-2), Grace Christian Academy (10-8, 8 inn.) and Brentwood (7-0) to come home 4-1 before conference play.
The only bad streak the Millers have had this year is when they lost the finale of the Fishers series on the road (3-2) and dropped the first two games of the Westfield series, 2-1 and 9-6.
Other than that, Noblesville is playing some pretty good baseball from that point and they look to continue streaking for as long as they possibly can.
Three 3-run frames propel Millers in series opener
Game 1: Noblesville 9, Hamilton SE 5 - (Thurs. May 7 at The Dunk, Noblesville)
Royals 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 - 5 10 2
Millers 3 0 3 0 3 0 x - 9 9 0
Will Plumer got slightly ahead of lead-off hitter and Indiana-commit Matt Gorski with a 2-1 count, but that really didn't matter. Gorski took a fastball on the fourth pitch, that was out over the plate, belting a lead-off solo home run to left to give Hamilton Southeastern an early 1-0 edge.
On the first pitch he saw, Travis Gillian drove a double deep to the gap in left center. Vince Essig next hit a tailing triple just right of the fence in center to easily plate Gillian to tie it up 1-1 in no time flat.
Michael Carmosino reached on an error by catcher Spencer Irick that helped Essig score from third and Carmo managed to get down to second. Three batters later, Dax McLochlin singled to score Carmosino from second and just like that, the Millers had already gained the lead 3-1 after one.
The Millers were back at it to put some more runs on the scoreboard against one of their bigger Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals.
We were at the top of the order again with Gillian up, but that didn't last long as he was hit by the first pitch that David Blanco threw to (at) him. He would reach second quickly on a passed ball and with Essig walking, Noblesville had a pair of runners aboard.
Carmosino was able to get his bat on a 1-2 pitch and send it into the left field corner to drive Gillian home for a 4-1 score. Connor Christman hit a sacrifice fly to center that would score Vince for 5-1. Bryce Masterson smacked a nice sac fly to center that sent Carmosino home and the Millers had sent three across home plate in both the 1st and 3rd and now led 6-1.
Noblesville decided that they would make it a theme to score three runs in the odd innings to be able to stretch their lead out even more to frustrate the Hamilton Southeastern Royals.
Not kidding. They were at it again in the home half of the 5th.
Gillian led off with a walk from junior relief pitcher Carter Poiry, who came in to pitch the 4th, but was pulled for freshman Carter Lohman after the walk of Gillian.
Essig singled again for his second hit of the night, moving Gillian to 2nd. Carmosino bunted Gillian and Essig over to 3rd and 2nd, respectively and into scoring position. Connor Christman drilled a two-run single into left center and scored both Travis and Vince to make it 8-1. Bryce Masterson knocked in his second run of the game by doubling to the fence in right center to score Christman and the Millers headed to the 6th with a commanding 9-1 lead.
Aaron McGee led off the top of the 6th with double over Gillian's head in center to pump up the visitor's dugout. With Owen Callaghan flying out to right for the first out of the inning, McGee was able to tag up and head to 3rd and into scoring position. Nick Kiehl hit a grounder to short. Essig threw to first, allowing the McGee to score to get the second out and Hamilton Southeastern plated their second run of the game and their first since the 1st, trailing now 9-2.
The Royals had one more crack at it in the top of the 7th. Cole Jacobs singled to shallow left to get things started. Two hitters later, Gorski belted another home run over the left field fence. This time, his two-run shot ended up on SR 32 and into the back of a pickup truck. That guy got a free baseball and didn't even know it until he got home!
Plumer allowed a single to the next batter J.B. Washburn and head coach Justin Keever went to his bullpen to senior lefty Connor Adams.
Adams gave up a single to Aaron McGee on the second pitch he threw and then two consecutive walks to Callaghan and Kiehl to load the bases, ending Adams' appearance after 11 pitches.
Senior right-hander Justin Buchanan came on with one out in relief of Adams. He only needed to face one Royals hitter though. Jon McGee had a 2-2 count and hit a ground ball to Carmosino at second. He quickly tossed to second to force Kiehl's pinch-runner Jackson Howard out and then on to first to get McGee out to end the game, recording the save for Buchanan, his first of the season.
Noblesville staves off the Royals' comeback bid for a 9-5 win to open the series.
Congratulations to Miller head coach Justin Keever...
Thursday's series-opening victory at home over Hamilton Southeastern was Noblesville head coach Justin Keever's 200th career victory. A big congratulations to Coach Keever for achieving that milestone in his 11th season at the helm of the Noblesville Millers.
Millers hold off Royals for 7-5 road win to take series
Game 2: Noblesville 7, Hamilton SE 5 - (Fri. May 8 at Hamilton SE, Fishers)
Millers 3 0 0 4 0 0 0 - 7 6 1
Royals 0 1 2 1 0 0 1 - 5 10 2
The Millers kept it going in the odd innings in Game 2 at Hamilton Southeastern on Friday night.
With one out, Essig walked on five pitches and reached 2nd on a walk to Carmosino. Christman was at the plate and Tanner Sizemore threw a wild pitch, moving up both Essig and Carmo to 3rd and 2nd, respectively. Christman would walk and ball four was a passed ball that allowed Vince to head home from 3rd for the first run of the game.
Bryce Masterson reached on an error by Matt Gorski at second base, scoring Carmosino and getting Christman to second with one out. Ty Lindstrand reached on a passed ball on a dropped strike three and scored Connor for a 3-0 Miller lead early.
Noblesville ace southpaw Cory Conway was on the hill looking to pitch his Millers to a victory, but he knew it wouldn't be easy by any means.
Conway faced slugger Matt Gorski to lead off and was hoping that he wouldn't repeat either of the two HRs he belted off of fellow lefty Will Plumer the night before.
Gorski singled, but was forced out at 2nd on a throw by Dax McLochlin when Aaron McGee grounded to first. J.B. Washburn would single, but he and McGee would both be stranded and second and third to end the inning.
Sizemore was able to keep the Millers' offense silent in the 2nd and 3rd, giving his offense a chance to cut into the three run deficit.
Jon McGee led off the home half of the 2nd with single down the left field line. He would eventually score in the inning to cut the Miller lead to 3-1 after two.
The Royals were able to make some more noise offensively in the bottom of the 3rd with a lead-off walk. Washburn singled McGee to second to put two aboard. A sacrifice bunt by Callaghan moved the runners up a base to second and third and in scoring position with two outs. Nick Kiehl reached on an error by Essig behind the second base bag, scoring both McGee and Washburn to tie the game at 3-3.
The Millers weren't the happiest that their lead vanished, so they were gonna do something about it in the 4th.
Lindstrand led off the 4th being hit by a pitch. Austin Shirley singled up the middle to advance Ty to third on a throwing error by Cole Jacobs in center. Shirley tried stretching the hit into a double, but Jacobs' throw back in to Washburn was in good timing and he tossed to Gorski at second to tag out Shirley for the first out of the inning.
Alec Parker walked for runners at the corners and Harris Camp would come in to courtesy run for the catcher. Travis Gillian singled right after to left field, scoring Ty for a 4-3 score to put the Millers back in front. Gillian was the last batter that Sizemore would face.
Michael Pachmeyer came on in relief and got off to a shaky start, walking Essig and hitting Carmosino with a pitch to load the bases for Christman. Camp would score on a passed ball, advancing Gillian to second. Connor would hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Gillian from third for a 6-3 count. Masterson singled to left and scored Essig on the play to give Noblesville a 7-3 lead after four innings at the plate.
Hamilton Southeastern would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning. The catcher Spencer Irick walked with one out and his courtesy runner Tristan Gold would make his way home on an Aaron McGee single past Essig at short to trim the Miller lead to three, 7-4 after four.
After Conway pitched another solid game, Justin Buchanan was on in the bottom of the 7th to try and pick up the save for the second straight night.
Aaron McGee singled to lead off the inning, which led to Conway's exit. Buchanan's fourth pitch in this appearance resulted in a ground out from Washburn to J.B. at the mound that he would take himself to the first base bag for out number one.
Walking Callaghan and giving up a single to Kiehl, it looked like the Royals were truly going to threaten the Miller lead.
But fear not, Buchanan forced Jon McGee to fly out to left and struck out pinch hitter Carter Poiry for the final out, saving the ball game for the second night in a row.
It was another great night on the mound, despite giving up more offense than normal. Conway struck out 9 Royals in 6+ innings, while walked two and scattering 9 hits. The nine punch-outs gives Conway an HCC-leading 59 strikeouts in 41.2 innings and improved his record to 5-1, a win total that he achieved last season as a sophomore by earning the win in the Class 4A state championship.
Bryce Masterson was the Player of the Game on Hamilton County TV's broadcast, going 2-for-4 with an RBI, reaching base in three of his four at-bats.
Last Friday night's game at Hamilton Southeastern can be seen archived at wwww.hctvsports.com!
Christman's walk-off single helps Millers sweep Royals
Game 3: Noblesville 4, Hamilton SE 3 - (Sat. May 9 at The Dunk, Noblesville)
Royals 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 - 3 8 0
Millers 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 - 4 9 1
Clayton Marowski got the start for Noblesville and picked up right where he left off from his 3-hit, 12-0 shutout of Wapahani on Tuesday.
The right-handed junior didn't allow base runners in the first two innings and gave up just two hits, one each in the 3rd and 4th, while striking out two.
Noblesville got their bats going in the last of the 2nd. Bryce Masterson led off with a single. In the seven slot two hitters later, L.J. Tilley singled up the middle into center. Austin Shirley then doubled to left scoring Masterson and Tilley was also able to sprint home from second for a 2-0 Miller lead.
Hamilton Southeastern figured out a way to tie the game in the top of the 5th, but that didn't rattle Marowski really.
Jon McGee singled to right and made his way home on Carter Poiry's double to deep center to cut the deficit to a 2-1 Miller lead.
Gorski would ground out to Carmosino at second for the second out, but Poiry would jog home to tie the game up 2-2.
Andrew Bohm kept Noblesville's bats in-check in the 5th and 6th with the game still tied heading into the top of the 7th.
Matt Gorski clubbed a two-out, solo HR to left to give the Royals a 3-2 lead, but that's all they would get before the Millers came to bat in the bottom.
Tilley led off beating out an infield single and moved over to second to batters later when Alec Parker walked. Neil Brown would come in to courtesy run for Parker.
Travis Gillian hit an RBI single to score Tilley from second to tie the game again at 3-3 with one out. Vince Essig was intentionally walked to load the bases. Michael Carmosino struck out for the second time in the game for two outs and the pressure was on.
Next, on a 1-0 count, Connor Christman floated a game-winning single to left, scoring Brown for the game-winning run and a 4-3 win!
Marowski pitched a complete game, improving his record on the mound to 3-1.
L.J. Tilley went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Travis Gillian had a double, single and an RBI, Austin Shirley had a 2-run double and Connor Christman had a pair of hits, including the game-winner to lead the Millers at the plate on the day.
The win gives Noblesville a 3-game series sweep of Hamilton Southeastern and their first sweep in conference play with the switch to the series format this season. It also ups the Millers record in HCC play to 7-5, tied with Brownsburg for 2nd and just one out in the loss column of Westfield.
The series sweep also helps the Millers improve overall to 14-8 and extend their winning streak to 6 games prior to Tuesday's match-up with 2A Heritage Christian.
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