By RICHARD TORRES
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – Deke Bullard is under no delusion.
While a perfect softball season is the goal every year, the veteran head coach knows to achieve such a feat, it requires more than grit and talent alone.
It demands execution in all phases of the game. Not to mention a little luck.
On Tuesday night, the Class 4A 10th-ranked Noblesville Millers relied on a mix of each, and despite watching a 7-2 lead shrink to two runs twice, they kept their unbeaten streak intact, 8-6, against Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Franklin Central.
Noblesville trailed 1-0 midway through the second inning before building advantages of 3-2 and later 7-2 behind an 11-hit attack, including five extra-base knocks to improve their season record to 7-0. The Millers are now 3-0 in the HCC.
“This gives us a lot of momentum, especially going into a hard week. We needed this win,” Noblesville senior Brookelyn Grayson said. “We’re going to see a lot of good pitching this week so getting this win means a lot to us and gives us that momentum.”
Grayson provided the spark with a bases-loaded, bases-clearing double in the bottom of the fourth with Noblesville clinging to a 3-2 lead.
“In my second at-bat, I didn’t get it, so I was happy to get it on my next one,” Grayson said. “We need that.”
Grayson stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the second, but she grounded out unable to build on Noblesville’s 2-1 lead.
After an RBI double by sophomore Izzy Zapp (3-for-4, two doubles) in the bottom of the third broke a 2-2 tie, Grayson (2-for-4) delivered once the situation resurfaced in the fourth inning with her second double to give the Millers a 6-2 cushion.
“The bats came to life. They’ve been doing well this year,” Bullard said. “Any time you can clear the bases with a double is big. Having Brook back this year has been tremendous not only for our defense but our offense as well.”
Eight different Millers connected for at least one hit at Miller Park with five walks drawn overall and only four strikeouts amassed in 27 at-bats.
Junior Haley Schatko (1-for-3) tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the second with an RBI single up the middle before senior Nevaeh Nash (1-for-3) launched an RBI sacrifice fly to left field to put Noblesville ahead 2-1.
An Addison Emmerson one-out, RBI single in the fourth increased Noblesville’s lead 7-2.
The offense was necessary, as Noblesville sophomore ace Addison Retzinger worked 5.1 innings for seven strikeouts, six hits allowed, and no walks issued through 97 pitches thrown.
Retzinger’s pitch count soared with Franklin Central (6-6, 1-2 HCC) patiently seeing five full counts in 21 at-bats.
The Flashes’ Jaydyn Tinsley 2-for-4 slugged a full-count solo home run in the top of the second to put Franklin Central up 1-0. One of two passed balls in the third supplied the Flashes’ second run to tie the game 2-2.
After Retzinger was relieved in the top of the sixth with one out, a fielding error supplied the Flashes with an additional out and later two bases-loaded scenarios and three runs scored.
Franklin Central plated a pair of runs on fielder’s choices and another off an RBI single by Ava Fowler with two outs.
“Their 6-5 record is definitely deceiving. They are a good team, and they have three great pitchers, and we’re a good team with three great pitchers as well. We struggled some in the circle tonight, and that’s really what hurt, but we didn’t play defense behind my pitchers, and my defense has to play behind them,” Bullard said. “We can’t have innings where we give up five outs instead of three and expect our pitchers to come back and fix it.”
Junior Roslyn Ervin pitched the final 1.2 innings and quieted Franklin Central with two hits allowed, one walk and one earned run scored on a wild pitch.
Retzinger was charged with one earned run against.
Noblesville added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double by sophomore Reese Newsom (1-for-3).
Seniors Macie Duvall (stolen base, run, walk) and Delaney Rundle (1-for-3, two runs, stolen base, walk) rounded out Noblesville’s hitting attack.
“We have a lot of upperclassmen, and we’re really experienced. Our defense kind of hit a little hill there, but we brought it all together, calmed down and it helped having the upperclassmen helping the young ones,” Grayson said. “It’s really great to be undefeated so far. The senior group wants it really bad, and we’ve come out and we’ve hit good. We’re just trying to keep that momentum going.”
The Millers’ path continues to ramp up after Tuesday night with a home game against 3A No. 2 Western on Thursday followed by a meeting with 4A No. 1 Lake Central and Castle on Saturday at the Carmel Invitational. On Monday, the Millers travel to 3A No. 1 New Palestine and then to HCC foe Westfield on April 29.
“This is the heart of our schedule where it is toughest, and it gets no easier,” Bullard said. “It’s why we play this schedule because it puts pressure on us. We’re going to have that in the tournament, and it makes us better.”
As for remaining unbeaten the rest of the way, Bullard isn’t looking too far ahead.
“It’s going to be hard to do this week. We play top-level competition all week,” Bullard said. “It’s nice to be unbeaten, but I don’t think we’re going to stay that way at all. I think we’re going to take some lumps at one point or another, but the biggest thing that I told the girls tonight is that we competed. They came back and punched us in the mouth, and we responded. That’s what we want.”
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