Baseball: ‘Rocks overwhelm Western in battle of No. 1s

Carmel's JD Rogers (left) and Jackson Micheels (right) both had big games for the Greyhounds during their 17-7 win over Penn Saturday at the Noblesville Miller Classic. Rogers scored three runs, while Micheels scored two runs. (Richie Hall)

The Westfield baseball team won a battle of top-ranked teams on Saturday, as the Class 4A No. 1 Shamrocks comfortably beat 3A No. 1 Western 10-3 at the Kokomo-Western Invitational.
Westfield got on the board in the second inning by scoring five runs. Collin Lindsey batted in Casey Fanelli with a single. Later, with the bases loaded, Kade Robinson got home on a wild pitch. Quentin Markle then smacked a hit into center field to score Ryland Sutcliffe and Jack Woodard. Dorton hit a double to move Markle to third, then Markle scored on Keaton Mahan’s RBI groundout.
The ‘Rocks added another run in the third inning, with Sutcliffe’s RBI groundout scoring Fanelli. Mahan scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, making the score 7-0. In the fifth inning, Fanelli got home on another Lindsey hit, then Markle’s sacrifice fly scored Robinson. Markle totaled three RBIs for the game.
Western got on the board with two runs in the sixth inning. Westfield got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth, with Fanelli batting in Mahan. Fanelli, Mahan and Lindsey all had two hits for the game, with both of Mahan’s hits doubles. Trey Dorton and Fanelli both hit one double.
Logan Nickel pitched a complete game for the win, throwing five strikeouts.
The Shamrocks are 6-0 for the season and play at 4A No. 7 Cathedral on Wednesday.

WESTFIELD 10, WESTERN 3
Westfield AB R H RBI
Quentin Markle 3 1 1 3
Trey Dorton 4 0 1 0
Keaton Mahan 4 2 2 1
Mac Clarke 4 0 0 0
Casey Fanelli 3 3 2 1
Kade Robinson 1 2 0 0
Jackson Bieghler 1 0 0 0
Ryland Sutcliffe 3 1 0 1
Collin Lindsey 3 0 2 2
Nick Alm 0 0 0 0
Brayden Hibler 2 0 0 0
Jack Woodard 1 1 0 0
Isaac Minder 0 0 0 0
Totals 29 10 8 8
Score by Innings
Western 000 002 1 – 3 5 1
Westfield 051 121 x – 10 8 3
2B: Mahan 2, Dorton, Fanelli. SAC: Markle.
Westfield pitching IP R ER H
Logan Nickel 7 3 1 5
Strikeouts: Nickel 5. Walks: Nickel 1.

Fishers scored a dramatic comeback win at the Kokomo-Western Invitational on Saturday, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab an 8-7 victory over 4A No. 4 Lake Central.
The Tigers got the first run of the game, when Joey Brenczewski scored on a wild pitch in the first inning. But the Indians took over in the bottom of the inning, scoring four times, including back-to-back solo home runs.
The score remained 4-1 until the sixth inning, when both teams added three runs. Fishers went first, scoring all of their runs with two outs. Caulin Brown got on base with a center field single. Kaden Gorak came in to run for Brown, then stole second. Gorak was sent home after Zach Cox hit a single to right field.
That brought up Tate Warner, and his right field homer scored both himself and Cox. The score was now 4-4, but Lake Central would jump back ahead 7-4, retaking the lead on a two-RBI double.
On to the top of the seventh. Fishers began the inning with a left field double by Matt Bryant, who later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jack Braun then got on base after being hit by a pitch. Bryant would later score on a passed ball.
The Indians got the next two outs, but the Tigers then had three consecutive base hits. Jack Brown sent a single into left field, which got Braun home. Caulin Brown was next, and his double scored Jack Brown, tying the game. That brought up Cox, and he blasted a single into right field, sending Gorak home; Gorak was again running for Caulin Brown.
Fishers was now ahead 8-7. Lake Central had one more inning, and got runners on first and second base. But closer Mason Sweeney struck out the next two batters, then a fielder’s choice ended the game.
Sweeney was credited with the save, while Kyle Manship got the win; he pitched the fifth and sixth innings. Starter Gavin Kuzniewski threw four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Jack Brown, Caulin Brown and Cox all had two hits. Grant Moritz hit a fourth-inning double.
The Tigers improved to 4-4 with the victory. Fishers plays a Hoosier Crossroads Conference series with Noblesville later this week, hosting the Millers on Thursday and playing at Noblesville’s Don Dunker Field on Friday.

FISHERS 8, LAKE CENTRAL 7
Fishers AB R H RBI
Joey Brenczewski 3 1 1 0
Carson Dunn 2 0 0 0
Matt Bryant 1 1 1 0
Jack Braun 1 1 0 0
Grant Moritz 4 0 1 0
Dom Oliverio 2 0 0 0
Gavin Clayton 2 0 0 0
Jack Brown 4 1 2 1
Caulin Brown 4 0 2 1
Zach Cox 4 1 2 2
Jack Backofen 1 0 0 0
Joe Hietpas 0 0 0 0
Tate Warner 2 1 1 2
Kaden Gorak 0 2 0 0
Totals 30 8 10 6
Score by Innings
Fishers 100 003 4 – 8 10 2
Lake Central 400 003 0 – 7 6 0
HR: Warner. 2B: C. Brown, Bryant, Moritz. SB: Braun, Gorak. SAC: Bryant. HBP: Braun 2.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Gavin Kuzniewski 3 4 4 3
Cody Jones 1 0 0 0
Kyle Manship (W) 2 3 2 2
Mason Sweeney (S) 1 0 0 2
Strikeouts: Kuzniewski 4, Manship 3, Sweeney 2, Jones 1. Walks: Kuzniewski 2, Jones 1, Manship 1, Sweeney 1.

Carmel overwhelmed Penn at the Noblesville Miller Classic on Saturday, with the 4A No. 8 Greyhounds beating the 4A No. 9 Kingsmen 17-7 in five innings.
Carmel scored four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Alex Richter batted in the first run, with his right field hit sending JD Rogers home. Evan Neukam blasted a double to score Jackson Micheels and Richter, then Daniel Cunningham sent a double into center field to get Lleyton Lukowski (running for Neukam) home.
The ‘Hounds rolled in six more runs in the third inning. Cunningham hit a two-RBI double, scoring Rogers and Richter, then Griffin Wolf’s single got Lukowski home. Cunningham scored on an error during the next at-bat, then Wolf and Winston Berglund got home on another error.
Carmel finished the game with seven runs in the fourth inning. Neukam singled in Rogers, then Micheels scored on a Cunningham RBI fielder’s choice. Nick Mitchell drew a bases-loaded walk to get Cunningham home. Wolf would score on a wild pitch, then Cody Kantz slammed a three-run home run, also driving in Berglund and Mitchell.
Cunningham batted in four runs, with Kantz and Neukam totaling three RBIs each. Neukam and Cunningham both had two hits. Aidan McConnell got the pitching win.
The Greyhounds are 2-1 and play Monday at Hamilton Southeastern.

CARMEL 17, PENN 7
(5 innings)
Carmel AB R H RBI
Nick Mitchell 2 1 1 1
Cody Kantz 3 1 1 3
JD Rogers 1 3 1 0
Jackson Micheels 3 2 1 0
Alex Richter 1 2 1 1
Cam Carmichael 0 0 0 0
Evan Neukam 2 0 2 3
Tim Haas 0 0 0 0
Daniel Cunningham 3 2 2 4
Lleyton Lukowski 0 2 0 0
Griffin Wolf 2 2 1 1
Winston Berglund 1 2 0 0
Totals 18 17 10 13
Score by Innings
Penn 002 23 – 7 3 2
Carmel 406 7x – 17 10 1
HR: Kantz. 2B: Cunningham 2, Neukam. SB: Rogers 4, Berglund, Cunningham. SAC: Richter. HBP: Berglund, Micheels, Neukam.
Carmel pitching IP R ER H
Aidan McConnell (W) 2 0 0 1
Jack Bruington 2 4 2 2
Nolan Wright 1 3 3 0
Strikeouts: McConnell 1, Bruington 1. Walks: McConnell 3, Bruington 3, Wright 2.

Hamilton Southeastern picked up a 7-3 victory over Pendleton Heights on Saturday.
The Royals got on the board in the second inning, with Christian Beal hitting an RBI double. Two Southeastern also hit a home run, with Hunter Dilts getting a fourth-inning homer and J.T. Mutchner hitting one in the sixth inning.
Noah Wolf, Mutchner and Payton Hilfiker all had two hits, with Mutchner and Beal each driving in two runs. Ty Bradley pitched five innings for the win.
The Royals are 3-3-1 and host 4A No. 8 Carmel on Monday.

HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 7, PENDLETON HEIGHTS 3
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Peyton Lusby 4 0 1 0
Jason Dettman 4 0 0 0
Noah Wolf 3 0 2 1
J.T. Mutchner 3 2 2 2
Hunter Dilts 2 3 1 1
Logan Callaghan 0 1 0 0
Cole Earlewine 4 0 0 0
Payton Hilfiker 3 0 2 1
Henry Kerr 1 0 0 0
Landon Riekhof 1 1 1 0
Christian Beal 2 0 1 2
Griffen Haas 2 0 0 0
Totals 29 7 10 7
Score by Innings
Pendleton Hts. 000 020 1 – 3 8 1
Southeastern 022 102 x – 7 10 1
HR: Mutchner, Dilts. 2B: Beal. SB: Lusby, Hilfiker, Riekhof. HBP: Mutchner, Dilts.
HSE pitching IP R ER H
Howard 1 0 0 1
Eli Lantz 1 1 0 1
Ty Bradle 5 2 2 6
Strikeouts: Bradle 2, Howard 1, Lantz 1. Walks: Howard 1, Bradle 1.
Noblesville was stunned by Louisville St. Xavier in the fourth inning of its Miller Classic game on Saturday, as the Tigers scored eight runs and eventually won the game 11-4. The game was called after six innings.
Noblesville took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Drew Niswonger got on base with a double, and was sent home when Bryce Adams hit a home run into left field.
In the second inning, the Millers’ Mason Bohland reached on error, then scored on an RBI groundout by Conner Bloss. St. Xavier tied the game with three runs in the top of the third, but Noblesville got the lead back in the bottom of the inning; Dean White hit a double, then got home after Adams reached on error.
That gave the Millers a 4-3 lead. But the Tigers blasted through the top of the fourth, pouring in eight runs to take a big lead. The score would stay 11-4 through the remainder of the game.
Noblesville is 2-5 and plays Fishers this week in an HCC series. The Millers travel to the Tigers’ field on Thursday then host Fishers at Don Dunker Field on Friday.

ST. XAVIER 11, NOBLESVILLE 4
(6 innings)
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Dean White 3 1 1 0
Drew Niswonger 3 1 1 0
Kolbi Kazmierski 3 0 0 0
Bryce Adams 3 1 1 2
Jacob Weiler 3 0 0 0
Mason Bohland 1 1 0 0
Josh Kern 3 0 1 0
Conner Bloss 2 0 0 0
Bryce Riggs 2 0 0 0
Totals 23 4 4 2
Score by Innings
St. Xavier 003 800 – 11 8 3
Noblesville 211 000 – 4 4 2
HR: Adams. 2B: Niswonger, White.
NHS pitching IP R ER H
Jared Crandall 2.1 3 1 2
Nick Golden 1.0 4 2 2
Ty Haley 0.1 4 4 1
Niswonger 2.1 0 0 3
Strikeouts: Niswonger 3, Crandall 2, Golden 2. Walks: Crandall 3, Haley 3, Golden 1.