Rocks rout Tigers, take HCC series lead

By RICHARD TORRES

For The Reporter

FISHERS – The Westfield Shamrocks hadn’t won a regular-season game against rival Fishers since 2023.

On Thursday night, the Shamrocks ended the trend with a decisive 15-4, run-rule victory in six innings to take the first contest during their two-game Hoosier Crossroads Conference series.

The Rocks (7-4-1, 4-1 HCC) snapped their four-game, regular-season losing streak against Fishers (5-8, 2-3 HCC) with an aggressive two-strike approach, and it paid dividends with six of their 11 hits netting extra bases.

Nine Shamrock batters recorded at least one hit with their lineup’s top three leading the hit parade.

Sophomore Andrew Noble (1-for-1, 4 runs, 2 RBI) and juniors Maddox Novotney (1-for-4, 3 RBI, triple) and Lincoln Hoffman (2-for-5, 4 RBI, 2 triples) reached base a combined 11 times, while junior Kasen Jessup (2-for-4, RBI) posted one of Westfield’s three doubles.

“We’ve been really working on expanding the zone. We have a fun game we like to call, ‘puck out of the net.’ We just really try to expand those A-Bs,” said Hoffman, a Wright State commit. “We did a pretty good job tonight getting (Owen Lukac) out pretty quick.”

Lukac, an Evansville commit, started the game and faced immediate resistance. Westfield plated two runs in the top of the first and six more in the third with the bases loaded twice.

Lukac was forced to throw 25 pitches in the first inning and finished with 83 in 3.0 frames with two walks (both to lead off the first), five strikeouts and seven earned runs on eight hits.

“They did a great job with two strikes tonight, and we didn’t do a good job with our approaches at the plate,” Fishers coach Matthew Cherry said. “They were aggressive and stayed on pitches. They were selfless in hitting the ball the other way and doing what’s best for the team.”

Even with Wabash commit Beck Jordan (.560, 15 RBI) and senior Nick Fero (.294) recovering from injuries, the Shamrocks strung together hits, including six in the third inning (four extra-base knocks) to lead 8-0.

“Every time someone hits a ball, it’s just like a smile on everyone’s face,” Hoffman said. “We call it a brotherhood here. It’s great. I love it.”

A wild pitch in the first scored Noble for the first run and an RBI single by senior Aiden Grabowski (1-for-3), an IU Wesleyan commit, drove in Hoffman to put Westfield ahead 2-0.

A bases-clearing three-run triple by Novotney, an RBI double by senior Cade Defendis (1-for-3, RBI), an RBI double by Jessup and an RBI single by Noble highlighted the Shamrocks’ big third inning.

“They battled with two strikes and grinded out good at-bats and executed the plan well,” Westfield coach Ryan Bunnell said. “We’ve been on them – we’ve got to fight better with two strikes. That’s what happens when you spoil pitches.”

Lukac struck out a pair to end the third before the lefty’s night ended.

Westfield senior Corey Wilhelm, a Rose-Hulman commit, pitched 5.0 innings (66 pitches) for the win with five hits allowed, one unearned run and seven strikeouts.

“That’s a good club. They didn’t play their best today, and we know that,” Bunnell said. “Corey was really good on the mound, which was a good thing for us. We were able to get him out early, so a great scenario to get him extra rest. He had to go in the mid-80s the last couple of times.”

A two-run fifth fueled by a two-run double and a five-run sixth capped by a two-run triple both by Hoffman set up the run-rule after Fishers cut it to 10-1 in the bottom of the fifth.

Junior Asher Nelson (2-for-2, 2 RBI) connected for RBI singles in the fifth and sixth for Fishers. Junior Carter Davis (2-for-2) logged his first hits of the season in the fifth and sixth, as Fishers turned to the bench for production.

Lukac (1-for-3) and junior Carter Strole (1-for-3, double) supplied two of the Tigers’ nine hits.

The series continues today in Westfield at 6 p.m.