In 2015, I had the opportunity to make the trip to the Knoxville area last year for the Millers' spring break baseball trip and broadcast all four games with my broadcast partner at Hometown Television, Perry Williams.
We had a great time broadcasting baseball for a few days at some very nice facilities in east Tennessee and we were really glad that we could provide fans who weren't able to make the trip, an opportunity to watch the 4 games live.
The unfortunate thing of a full-time job, I wasn't able to take Thursday and Friday off this year to head southward to join in on the fun, great baseball and overall togetherness that a trip like this creates for all involved. That also meant that neither myself, nor Perry were going to be broadcasting this year's games in west Tennessee.
It wasn't the worst thing having to keep updated on Twitter and Game Changer, but I wish I could have been there in person.
The intent of this trip to Tennessee on spring break is for the better good for the team in the long run. Playing against some of the best competition in the Midwest and possibly the entire country helps make Noblesville an even better team throughout the remainder of their season, which helped them strive to become the 2014 4A State Champions.
Thursday night, the Millers were to scheduled to open up their 4-game slate against Smyrna High School's Bulldogs. The Bulldogs and Millers were only able to get into the 2nd inning before inclement weather swept across the lower midwest, halting play for the night, making it an incomplete game, not getting 4 1/2 innings completed. Keever's squad had gotten out to a 1-0 lead over Smyrna before weather canceled the game altogether.
Probably more than a little disappointed that they barely got to play on their first day in Tennessee, but they know that Mother Nature is uncontrollable. The Millers did have two games to look forward to on Friday that could make any baseball player, coach and fan smile at getting to "play two" any day.
4A #5 Noblesville 11, Collierville (TN) 3 - at Riverdale HS, Tennessee (Thur. March 31)
Collierville 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 - 3 4 2
Noblesville 1 0 4 5 1 0 x - 11 14 4
The Millers opened up their scoring in the bottom of the 1st and it didn't take long. Michael Carmosino laced a one-out triple over the right-fielder's head. Connor Christman drove Carmo home on an opposite field single to right for a 1-0 early edge.
Keever's offense exploded in the fourth and fifth frames to springboard the Millers out to a 10-0 distance between themselves and Collierville.
Travis Gillian led off with a walk. Carmo was back at it, doubling to center and driving Gillian in for 2-0. Christman kept his bat going with a single to left, sending Carmosino home from second. Bryce Masterson walked and advanced to second on Alex Cleverly's single to left. Austin Shirley drove Masterson home on an RBI single in the hole at short and just like that, it was 4-0.
Neil Brown, who came in to be Cleverly's courtesy runner, scored on Jackson Thurman's sacrifice fly to right to give Noblesville a solid 5-0 lead through two.
They weren't done, by any means, and wanted to make their presence known.
Harris Camp got things started in the bottom of the 4th with a leadoff double to left. Back to the top of the order, Gillian dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Camp to third. Carmosino continued his hot hitting game with another double, this time to left field, scoring Camp with ease and putting Noblesville up 6-0.
Christman grounded out to short, moving Carmo over to third. Next, Masterson lined a double to right, sending Carmosino home for a 7-0 score.
Cleverly singled on a hard-grounder to short to get Masterson to third. Ty Lindstrand lined a triple over the RF's head that would help Masterson and Clev touch home for 9-0. Austin Shirley continued the inning, reaching on an error by Collierville's third baseman, allowing Lindstrand to score and give the Millers a double-digit lead, 10-0 through four innings.
Collierville would get itself on the board with 3 runs on one hit and 3 Noblesville errors in the top of the 5th, but it would obviously be way too little, way too late to make a dent in the Millers lead.
Harris Camp would score the final run for Noblesville in the bottom of the 5th, as Michael Carmosino grounded out to short, putting Camp's second run of the game in the box score for the final score of 11-3.
Clayton Marowski pitched a solid 6 innings, striking out 7, walking 3, while allowing 3 hits and 3 runs (1 earned). Dusti McLochlin and Michael Carmosino combined for the other inning of work, giving up just one hit between them out of the Miller bullpen.
Riverdale (TN) 6, Noblesville 2 - at Riverdale HS, Tennessee (Friday, April 1, 2016)
Noblesville 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 2 4 1
Riverdale 1 1 2 0 0 2 x - 6 10 1
Sophomore starting pitcher Kade Gorman started off a little shaky in his varsity debut, but he honestly didn't throw terrible out there, considering that he debuted against some pretty hefty competition.
Noblesville was first up, being the visitors on the scoreboard on Riverdale's home turf in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Michael Carmosino reached on an error by the Warriors' shortstop
Riverdale wasted no time in the bottom of the 1st, as they were able to get their first run across on a bases-loaded HBP to go up 1-0. The home-standing Warriors added another in the 2nd and a pair in the 3rd and 6th to jump out to a 6-0 lead on the Millers.
The Millers looked to rally in the top of the 7th, but it was going to have to be a big one, considering the 6-0 hole that Riverdale had put them in.
Austin Shirley showed patience leading off the inning walking on five pitches. Thurman was fanned in a lengthy eight pitch at-bat for out number one. Harris Camp singled to Flippo at the mound, scoring Shirley and getting the Millers on the board. Camp scored from third on a wild pitch by Flippo to cut the deficit to 6-2, but unfortunately that would be all the Warriors would give up and they would hold on to give Noblesville their first defeat of the young season.
4A #5 Noblesville 5, McCracken County (KY) 3 - (Saturday, April 2, 2016)
McCracken County 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 - 3 2 1
Noblesville Millers 3 1 0 0 0 1 x - 5 6 2
In a rare occurrence for senior southpaw Cory Conway, he gave up a first inning run. But that didn't last long at all really.
Travis Gillian got the offense started in the bottom by lining a single to center. Michael Carmosino laced a double to center that allowed Gillian to score from second, after he advanced there on a passed ball. Connor Christman joined the double party and hit a two-bagger to left to plate Carmo for a 2-0 score. With one out, Alex Cleverly singled to left on a fly ball that would get Christman home that pushed the Millers' lead to 3-1 after one.
Harris Camp belted a one-out triple to the right field wall to get the Millers a runner in scoring position. Gillian hit a sacrifice fly that would get Camp home for a 4-1 lead through two full frames.
McCracken County would cut the Noblesville lead to 4-2 in the top of the 3rd with one run and then get themselves down one by scoring again in the top of the 6th, but Conway wasn't phased.
Two outs were on the board with Lindstrand and Shirley grounding out and striking out, respectively, that brought Jackson Thurman to the plate. The junior speedster stroked a solo home run over the right center wall to give the Millers a two-run cushion and the eventual final count of 5-3.
Conway went the distance for the complete game win, striking out 9 for the second straight game of the season. He only gave up a pair of hits, three runs (one earned), while walking four.
The Millers concluded their Spring Break 2016 trip winning two games and losing just one. Their opening game against Smyrna High School was not a complete game, although Noblesville had a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning before the game was canceled due to inclement weather.
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