Westfield’s Gage Stanifer gave the Shamrocks a memorable way to open Hoosier Crossroads Conference play, as he threw a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader between Westfield and Franklin Central Wednesday at the Shamrocks’ field.
Westfield won the first game 6-0. Stanifer struck out the side in the first inning, then continued to roll from there. The Flashes only got on base four times during the game, with two walks and two hit batsmen.
Stanifer got stronger as the game went on, striking out eight of the last nine batters during the final three innings. The Rocks’ defense backed him up as well, with Keaton Mahan picking off a runner at first base in the second inning, and catcher Collin Lindsey throwing out a runner at second base to end the fourth.
Westfield got on the board in the third inning, when Mahan hit a two-run single to send Isaac Minder and Brayden Hibler home. Kade Robinson scored a fourth-inning run after Trey Dorton reached on error. In the sixth inning, Hibler scored on a wild pitch, Quentin Markle went home after Dorton again reached on error, then Casey Fanelli singled in pinch runner Joey Wolfe.
Markle and Mahan both finished with two hits.
The Shamrocks also won the second game easily, 9-0. Westfield scored three runs in the first inning; Dorton got the first run when Fanelli reached on error. Mahan scored on the next at-bat, by a Minder RBI groundout. Fanelli finished the inning by scoring on a wild pitch.
In the second inning, Quentin Markle blasted a triple to right field to get Jack Woodard home. Markle then scored on a Dorton single. The ‘Rocks got two more runs in the third inning; Lindsey’s sacrifice fly scored Minder, and South got home on a wild pitch. Mac Clarke hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to get Mahan and Fanelli in to score.
Dorton had two hits on the night, while South hit a third-inning double. Logan Nickel pitched six innings for the win, tossing 10 strikeouts.
Westfield is 4-0 for the season.
WESTFIELD 6, FRANKLIN CENTRAL 0
Westfield AB R H RBI
Quentin Markle 4 1 2 0
Trey Dorton 3 0 1 1
Joey Wolfe 0 1 0 0
Keaton Mahan 3 0 2 2
Casey Fanelli 4 0 1 1
Collin Lindsey 4 0 0 0
Cody South 3 0 1 0
Kade Robinson 2 1 0 0
Isaac Minder 2 1 1 0
Brayden Hibler 0 2 0 0
Totals 25 6 8 4
Score by Innings
Franklin Central 000 000 0 – 0 0 2
Westfield 002 103 x – 6 8 1
SB: South.
Westfield pitching IP R ER H
Gage Stanifer 7 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Stanifer 16. Walks: Stanifer 2.
WESTFIELD 9, FRANKLIN CENTRAL 0
Westfield AB R H RBI
Quentin Markle 3 1 1 1
Trey Dorton 5 1 2 1
Keaton Mahan 2 2 0 0
Ryland Sutcliffe 1 0 0 0
Casey Fanelli 3 2 0 0
Jackson Bieghler 1 0 0 0
Isaac Minder 3 1 0 1
Jack Woodard 0 1 0 0
Cody South 2 1 1 0
Mac Clarke 3 0 1 2
Collin Lindsey 1 0 0 1
Brayden Hibler 2 0 0 0
Totals 26 9 5 6
Score by Innings
Westfield 322 002 0 – 9 5 0
Franklin Central 000 000 0 – 0 3 2
3B: Markle. 2B: South. SB: Hibler. SAC: Lindsey. HBP: Clarke, Hibler, Lindsey, Mahan, Minder, South.
Westfield pitching IP R ER H
Logan Nickel (W) 6 0 0 2
Austin Murphy 1 0 0 1
Strikeouts not available. Walks: Nickel 1, Murphy 1.