By RICH TORRES
FISHERS – Hamilton Southeastern’s Greyson Droste knew exactly how last year’s Royals would have responded to Monday night’s back-and-forth battle against rival Carmel.
But this isn’t 2018, and this season’s Class 4A No. 3 Royals aren’t living in the past. Instead, the unbeaten Royals have a new mindset, and it revolves around words like persistence and belief.
“It’s a lot different from last year. Last year, we probably would have lost that game,” Droste remarked after the Royals rallied to win 6-5 at Ken Seitz Field. “Carmel had more hits than us, but we scored six runs and won, so you can’t complain about it too much.”
Tied 2-2 with Carmel in the fourth inning and trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the fifth, the Royals put together their decisive three-run rally without a single hit, but when their opportunity arrived, they made sure they didn’t whiff.
The Royals (3-0) sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and loaded the bases behind a walk, an error and a hit batter. A Jake Huston RBI-walk cut Carmel’s 5-4 before a passed ball deadlocked the game.
With two runners in scoring position and no outs, senior Caden Ruhnow delivered the go-ahead run with a clutch sacrifice bunt, while Ball State signee Tyler Schweitzer shutdown the Greyhounds (2-3) in relief.
“Over the course of the season, you’re going to have games where you’re going to have to manufacture, especially with the quality of talent we play,” HSE head coach Jeremy Sassanella said. “I was really proud of the kids. It was kind of ugly at times offensively, but we found a way, and we had an awful lot of resolve.”
A short memory helped their cause as well after the Royals lost a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth due to a costly throwing error that plated one run for the Greyhounds and an RBI-groundout by Dryden Schroeder, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
The Greyhounds pulled ahead 5-3 in the top of the fifth with a three-hit, three-run frame that was capped by dropped ball in shallow right field for another error.
Down but never out, the Royals regrouped, and it unfolded according to plan.
“(Ruhnow) has been struggling at the plate, and we work on that safety squeeze from time to time, so to see a guy who has been struggling to be selfless, execute and get that run in, that’s a really good thing for the team,” Sassanella said.
Schweitzer did his part, taking over for starter Cole Graverson, who allowed just two earned runs through 4 1/3 innings with four strikeouts despite exiting after Carmel tied it up 3-3.
“We pick each other up when we’re down like tonight,” Schweitzer said.
The left-handed senior surrendered one charged run, but he retired seven of Carmel’s final nine hitters with four strikeouts through 2 2/3 innings and 33 pitches thrown.
“We just want our kids to get ahead and establish the fastball, and Cole did a great job with that,” Sassanella said. “He was down in the zone, and he threw some filthy changeups. He has a really bright future, and for his first real outing at the varsity level, it was exciting to see. We grinded out some at-bats and put ourselves in position to ultimately win.”
Schweitzer allowed only one hitter to reach scoring position after Carmel jumped out front 5-3, picking up his second win on the year.
Carmel collected seven hits overall as Christian Williams and Brayden Lentz each went 2-for-4 with a combined two doubles and three runs scored.
The Royals didn’t have a single batter post more than one hit, but they took advantage, leaving just four runners stranded in scoring position.
“We have a pretty senior-laden ball club, and I’m learning something about them every day this being my first year here, so tonight was that kind of night,” Sassanella said. “We work on that. I’m a big believer in the importance of one run, and so many things we do from a practice perspective and a communication perspective is built around that.”
The Royals led 2-0 after the third inning behind a one-out, RBI-triple from Cole DeWael, who later scored on one of Carmel’s four errors.
An RBI-single by Matthew Buckingham put the Royals ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
Drew Harding took the loss on the mound for Carmel in relief after loading the bases. Huston clawed back from an 0-2 count to earn a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth, which prompted a move to the bullpen, but a passed ball and a bunt to Ruhnow proved the difference.
Alex Brooks induced two flyouts and two strikeouts once he settled in, but Schweitzer and the Royals locked the game down.
Schweitzer struck out a pair in the top of the seventh, including Butler recruit Jackson Adams, who was intentionally walked in the fifth.
Huston finished 1-for-2 for HSE with a double and Ruhnow was 1-for-2, hitting eighth in the batting order. Buckingham was 1-for-2 with a stolen base and two walks. The Royals drew four walks with two hit batters.
“This year, it seems to be everyone top to bottom in the order stepping up,” Droste said. “We’re putting up runs, and the pitching is looking really good. Tyler looks good. It should be a good season.”
The Royals traveled to Brownsburg on Tuesday night for its second Hoosier Crossroads Conference matchup. Carmel hosted Center Grove on Tuesday to open its Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference schedule.
Hamilton Southeastern 6, Carmel 5
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Matthew Buckingham 2 1 1 1
Anthony Eggers 4 0 0 0
Cole DeWael 4 1 1 1
Brayton Harrison 3 1 0 0
Greyson Droste 3 0 0 0
Tyler Schweitzer 0 1 0 0
Jack DeWolf 2 0 0 0
Jake Stout 0 1 0 0
Jake Huston 2 0 1 1
Caden Ruhnow 2 1 1 1
Jordan Millikan 3 0 0 0
Totals 25 6 4 4
3B: DeWael. 2B: Huston. SAC: Eggers, Ruhnow. SB: Buckingham, Harrison. HBP: Harrison, Droste.
Southeastern pitching IP R ER H
Cole Graverson 4.1 4 2 4
Tyler Schweitzer 2.2 1 1 4
Strikeouts: Graverson 4, Schweitzer 4. Walks: Graverson 1, Schweitzer 1.
Carmel AB R H RBI
Christian Williams 4 1 2 0
Brayden Lentz 4 2 2 1
JD Rogers 4 1 0 0
Dryden Schroeder 4 1 2 2
Jackson Adams 3 0 0 0
Alex Brooks 3 0 1 0
Jared Greene 2 0 0 0
Drew Kelly 3 0 0 0
Logan Urbanowski 3 0 0 0
Totals 30 5 7 3
2B: Williams, Lentz. HBP: Greene.
Carmel pitching IP R ER H
Mitchell Henneberry 4 3 1 4
Drew Harding 0 3 2 0
Alex Brooks 2 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Henneberry 3, Brooks 2. Walks: Henneberry 2, Harding 2.
Score by innings
Carmel 000 230 0 – 5 7 4
Southeastern 002 130 X – 6 4 2