It always feels great to come back from the annual Spring Break baseball trip to Tennessee on positive notes. There were many that can be taken away from the two wins and one loss in Volunteer country.
From the leadership that has been part of the storied Noblesville Miller baseball program since they were mere freshmen to the seniors that they now are, these are the players that 12th-year Head Coach Justin Keever and his staff of Kevin Fitzgerald, Caleb Small and Tim Davis look to continue the success with this particular group that has enormous potential to do great things this season.
High, positive things happened on the trip. Another 9 strikeout performance from Cory Conway. Jackson Thurman's first career varsity home run vs. McCracken County. Michael Carmosino and Connor Christman being hit and RBI machines. And more importantly, this team won two of three games, and could have been three of four, against some outstanding teams from the lower Midwest.
It's these upperclassmen that will be counted on to lead the team in what is their last chance to make their mark in the history of Noblesville baseball.
4A #7 Noblesville 12, Frankfort 0 (5 inn.) - at The Dunk (Tue. April 5, 2016)
Frankfort 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 5
Noblesville 5 4 3 0 x - 12 9 1
After being shorted one game because of inclement weather Thursday, March 31 in Tennessee, the Noblesville Millers were looking to make up for it in double the production in their next outing against Frankfort at The Dunk. And that's exactly what happened.
Travis Gillian roped a leadoff single to left center to get things going in the Millers' first at-bat in the first. Carmosino walked next. An error by the Hot Dogs' catcher Diego Santos made it easy for Gillian to sprint home and get Carmo to 2nd. Bryce Masterson smacked an RBI-triple to dead center to score Carmosino.
Ty Lindstrand lined a grounder up the middle into center, scoring Masterson for a 4-0 score. Austin Shirley reached on an error by Frankfort shortstop Christian Lopez and eventually scored on a passed ball to jump start the Millers' 1st inning lead to to 5-0.
Trying to make some more noise for the second straight inning, Masterson would walk with one out. Alex Cleverly reached on a fielder's choice and the inning's leadoff hitter was forced out at third on Alex's hit to the mound.
Two runners aboard and Lindstrand another big opportunity to make something happen and he did. Ty doubled, driving home Bryce for 6-0. Three more runs would touch home, including courtesy runner (for Cleverly) Julian Simac, Lindstrand and Austin Shirley, who reached for the 2nd time via an infield error. That put Noblesville with a 9-0 lead and looking to make it a short night for the Hot Dogs.
Gillian would work some more magic in the bottom of the 3rd, drilling a solo home run, on a 3-1 pitch, just inside the left field foul pole. This is the junior's first career varsity round-tripper.
After Carmosoino popped out to first, Christman walked and was immediately moved over to 3rd on Masterson's one-out double.
Two batters later, Lindstrand got ahold of a 2-2 pitch, sending it on the fly to the wall in right center for a triple and driving in both Christman and Masterson for what would be the eventual final tally of 12-0.
Kade Gorman made his 2nd start as a varsity pitcher, but this time he earned the win. He only had to throw three innings, allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out three Hot Dogs.
Mark Goudy and Harris Camp relieved Gorman in the 4th and 5th innings, respectively, combining for three K's between them, but more importantly not giving up a hit.
Ty Lindstrand was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle, hitting a single, double and triple in consecutive at-bats to go 3-3 with 4 RBI's and two runs scored.
The win moves the Millers to 4-1 on the season and Frankfort drops to 1-1.
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