By RICHIE HALL
Reporter Sports Editor
Sometimes the best wins are the ugly wins.
Noblesville got one of those Friday afternoon at Fishers, outlasting the Tigers 6-3 to finish up play in that Hoosier Crossroads Conference series. Class 4A No. 2 Fishers had already taken the first two games of the series on Thursday, so this marked the 4A No. 5 Millers’ first HCC victory of the season.
Since the Tigers had already clinched the series the night before, it would’ve been easy for Noblesville to play indifferent baseball on Friday. But the Millers would have none of that, screaming and cheering in bitterly cold weather (this is April, isn’t it?) and eventually scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to take control of the game.
“I think our kids were much tougher than they were last night,” said Noblesville coach Justin Keever. “It’s gritty, not pretty, right? That’s what it comes down to. We can’t worry about what we look like. We just got to go out and just compete. They gave us some opportunities and we were able to cash in on some of them.”
Both teams matched each other run-for-run over the course of the first five innings, beginning with one run each in the first. The visiting Millers got on the board when DJ Owens singled in Tyler Owens. Fishers got its turn in the bottom of the first, when a center field single by Grant Richardson scored JJ Woolwine.
Noblesville got back in front in the second inning, with Jackson Ramey getting Brady Walden home on a sacrifice fly. Reese Sharp struck out the Fishers side in the second inning, so the Tigers had to wait until the third inning to answer back, but did so in a big way: Matt Wolff sent a triple into right field to get Richardson home and tie the game at 2-2.
The Millers made quickly made it 3-2 in the top of the fourth. Jackson Ramey put down a bunt, then reached on an error, and that was enough to get Walden in for his second run of the day. Again, Fishers made some big hits to answer in the fifth inning: Richardson hit a two-out triple, then Kiel Brenczewski sent a double into left field, thus sending Richardson home. The game was tied again.
Noblesville kept the pattern going in the sixth inning, when Mark Goudy’s left field single scored Connor Vanosdol, giving the Millers a 4-3 lead. Kade Gorman (who came in to pitch in the fifth inning) retired the Fishers side 1-2-3 to get Noblesville into the seventh. Gorman then was the leadoff man, and he singled on to first – his first base hit ever. That really got the Millers fired up.
While all this was going on, Keever – cool as a cucumber – sent Zac Tuinei on to first to run for Gorman. Tuinei moved to second on a fielder’s choice, then had to stay there when Fishers got a strikeout for the second out.
That brought up Sharp, who was intentionally walked. Ramey was next, and he reached on error, loading the bases. Randolph then drew a walk, which scored Tuinei, then Camden Nagel (running for Sharp) scored on an error.
“Coach Keever did a good job of getting his guys ready to play and bounce back after two losses last night, just like I knew that they would,” said Fishers coach Matt Cherry. “His guys brought energy. Nothing taken away from them because they capitalized, but we walked eight guys, hit two guys and didn’t put ourselves in a position to win. They capitalized on our mistakes.”
In the bottom of the seventh, Bryce Randolph made a remarkable one-handed catch to get the first out. Fishers got two men on when Richardson reached on an error, then Brenczewski singled. Another error got both Tigers into scoring position, but the game ended when DJ Owens made an unassisted double play for the final two outs.
“I thought Reese Sharp was really strong on the mound,” said Keever. “Kade Gorman comes in and slams the door. The play by Bryce Randolph in right center field there to start that bottom of the seventh there was a game-changer, really. They had the middle of their order up and all three really good hitters.
“I just thought our kids played tough today. And it was an awful day in terms of the elements and they just came out and competed all seven innings.”
Sharp finished the game with 10 strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings, an outstanding effort against Fishers’ big hitters. Both Brenczewski and Richardson had two hits for the Tigers. Fishers’ Jon Vore and AJ Waltermann both struck out four.
Noblesville is now 4-4 for the season and will begin an HCC series with Westfield on Thursday. The Tigers are 5-3 and play at Greenfield-Central on Tuesday.
Noblesville 6, Fishers 3
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Tyler Owens 2 1 0 0
Mark Goudy 5 0 1 1
DJ Owens 4 0 1 1
Jacob Thieman 3 0 0 0
Kade Gorman 1 0 1 0
Zac Tuinei 0 1 0 0
Cooper Miles 4 0 0 0
Brady Walden 2 2 0 0
Reese Sharp 2 0 1 0
Camden Nagel 0 1 0 0
Jackson Ramey 3 0 1 1
Connor Vanosdol 0 1 0 0
Bryce Randolph 1 0 0 1
Totals 27 6 5 4
2B: Sharp. SAC: Ramey. HBP: Owens, Randolph.
Noblesville pitching IP R ER H
Sharp 4.2 3 2 4
Gorman (W) 2.1 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Sharp 10, Gorman 2. Walks: Sharp 1, Gorman 1.
Fishers AB R H RBI
JJ Woolwine 4 1 0 0
Craig Yoho 4 0 0 0
Grant Richardson 3 2 2 1
Kiel Brenczewski 4 0 2 1
Tristan Baker 0 0 0 0
Matt Wolff 2 0 1 1
Alex Jamieson 2 0 0 0
Jack Roudebush 3 0 0 0
Nick Lukac 2 0 0 0
Daniel Owens 1 0 0 0
Ben Burton 3 0 0 0
Totals 28 3 5 3
3B: Richardson, Wolff. 2B: Brenczewski. HBP: Richardson, Wolff.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Jon Vore 3 3 2 2
AJ Waltermann 2.2 1 0 0
Griffin Rhoads 0.1 0 0 1
Baker 0.2 2 0 1
Wolff 0.1 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Vore 4, Waltermann 4, Baker 1, Wolff 1. Walks: Vore 5, Baker 2, Waltermann 1.
Score by innings
Noblesville 110 101 2 – 6 5 3
Fishers 101 010 0 – 3 5 4
Noblesville’s Reese Sharp threw 10 strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings for the Millers in their Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at Fishers on Friday. Noblesville won 6-3, earning its first conference victory of the season. (Kent Graham)
Fishers’ JJ Woolwine puts down a bunt. (Kent Graham)
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