HSE completes sweep of Noblesville to tie atop HCC

By CRAIG ADKINS

For The Reporter

There’s always the pressure of leading the Hoosier Crossroads Conference baseball standings and keeping the lead throughout the league slate.

Heading into the series, Noblesville had a two-game lead on Hamilton Southeastern and soon, the two were tied atop the HCC. On Thursday, May 7, the Royals stole the first game 5-2 at Dunker Field and then swept the series on Saturday, May 9 at Ken Seitz Field, 7-5.

The Millers got on the board first. Aiden Reynolds belted a solo home run to center for a 1-0 edge in the top of the first.

The Royals countered in the bottom. Cy Cole doubled to left, scoring Jackson Bixler for the 1-1 tie.

Noblesville grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third when Slade Hodges drove in Reynolds.

Cy Cole was at it again, tying it 2-2. Cole’s base hit to center sent Clark Bucher home.

Southeastern opened up the game in the home half of the fourth. Nick Bach and Kian Kelly had back-to-back singles. Bixler drove in Bach on a liner to center to make it 3-2.

Bucher followed with his own hit to left, scoring Kelly for the two-run advantage of 4-2. Parker O’Steen kept it going with a two-run single to go up 6-2.

O’Steen scored to finish out the HSE scoring (7-2) on Alex Shepherd’s fielder’s choice.

Noblesville had one last ditch push in the top of the seventh. Chris Martz and Ethan Clark both walked with one out. Aiden Reynolds hit his second home run of the game, a three-run bomb, driving in Martz and Clark for the final of 7-5.

Reynolds drove in four with his two roundtrippers and scored three runs. Hodges also had two hits

The Royals tallied 11 hits as a team. Cole led with a 3-for-3 day and two RBIs. Bucher and O’Steen both had two hits.