The Noblesville and Cathedral baseball teams were originally slated to open the season on March 28, but cold weather conditions postponed the game by a month.
Noblesville took advantage in the right spots offensively and was fortunate that starter Nolan Decker was on point in the Millers’ 4-0 shutout of Cathedral on Tuesday.
The sophomore southpaw was dialed in from the first pitch en route to his best outing of 2022 thus far.
Decker only allowed six total baserunners, just three getting hits, whiffing 11 Irish and walking none.
Drew Niswonger drew a one-out walk and then stole second. Trevor Corbett smacked a hard single to left to send Niswonger to third. Decker helped his own cause by drilling a single into center to score Niswonger to put the Millers up 1-0.
After a quick three up and three down in the top of the fourth, the Miller bats put in more work.
Designated hitter Connor Bloss led off with a first-pitch single to left. A few batters later, Niswonger walked for runners at the corners. Corbett would then reach on an error by Cathedral second baseman Jake Tomich, scoring Niswonger to make it 2-0. That would also advance Corbett to second on the miscue.
Decker then added another RBI to his total, driving a single up the middle, plating Corbett. Kolby Kazmierski would rope a single to left and Decker would score for what wound up being the final score of 4-0.
The Millers evened their record to 7-7 with the win over the Irish. They get back to Hoosier Crossroads Conference action on Thursday by heading west to Westfield (9-3, 4-2 HCC). Noblesville also has a 4-2 HCC record. The conference series concludes in the nightcap of the Victory Field Classic on Friday night, following the Franklin Central vs. Franklin matchup.
NOBLESVILLE 4, CATHEDRAL 0
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Trevor Corbett 4 1 2 0
Nolan Decker 4 0 2 2
Kolby Kazmierski 3 0 1 1
Bryce Riggs 2 0 0 0
Josh Kern 3 0 0 0
Conner Bloss 3 0 3 0
Luke Wilson 3 0 0 0
Jacob Edwards 3 0 0 0
Drew Niswonger 1 2 0 0
Conner Seago 0 1 0 0
Totals 26 4 8 3
Score by Innings
Cathedral 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Noblesville 001 300 x – 4 8 2
2B: Bloss. SB: Niswonger.
NHS pitching IP R ER H
Decker 7 0 0 3
Strikeouts: Decker 11. Walks: none.
Hamilton Heights split a Hoosier Conference East Division series with Northwestern this week.
On Tuesday, the host Huskies won a pitcher’s dual with the Tigers 1-0. Kaleb Murray scored Heights’ run in the first inning, and the Huskies were able to hold the lead from there.
Drew VanOeveren pitched six innings and got the win, allowing no hits and striking out 11. Guy Griffey got the save, pitching the seventh inning.
The series shifted to Northwestern on Wednesday, and the host Tigers beat Heights 9-5. Northwestern scored two runs in the first inning, but the Huskies answered with four runs in the top of the second. Sam Allen scored the first run when Isaac Tuma reached on error with a bunt. Dean Mason drew a bases-loaded walk that sent Cooper Vondersaar home. Nate Hulen sent a single into left field to score Tuma and Mason.
The Tigers had the game tied at 4-4 by the fourth inning, then scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead. The Huskies added one more run in the sixth when Harrison Hochstedler’s sacrifice fly scored Mason.
Hulen was 3-for-3 at the plate, while Tuma hit a fifth-inning triple. Griffey struck out five in four innings.
Heights is 3-3 in the division and 8-4 overall. The Huskies travel to Lewis Cass Tuesday to begin another division series.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 1, NORTHWESTERN 0
Heights AB R H RBI
Dean Mason 3 0 1 0
Nick Hulen 2 0 0 0
Sam Allen 3 0 0 0
Drew VanOeveren 2 0 0 0
Alex Eubanks 2 0 0 0
Cooper Vondersaar 2 0 0 0
Harrison Hochstedler 2 0 1 0
Isaac Tuma 2 0 0 0
Braulio Pena 0 0 0 0
Kaleb Murray 0 1 0 0
Colin Kuhn 0 0 0 0
Totals 18 1 2 0
Score by Innings
Northwestern 000 000 0 – 0 1 0
Heights 100 000 x – 1 2 1
2B: Mason. SB: Kuhn. SAC: Hulen.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
VanOeveren (W) 6 0 0 0
Guy Griffey (S) 1 0 0 1
Strikeouts: VanOeveren 11, Griffey 1. Walks: VanOeveren 7.
NORTHWESTERN 9, HAMILTON HEIGHTS 5
Heights AB R H RBI
Dean Mason 0 1 0 1
Nick Hulen 3 0 3 2
Drew VanOeveren 4 0 1 0
Harrison Hochstedler 3 0 0 1
Sam Allen 4 1 0 0
Cooper Vondersaar 4 1 2 0
Isaac Tuma 4 1 1 0
Kaleb Murray 2 0 0 0
Alex Eubanks 1 0 0 0
James Lacey 0 0 0 0
Colin Kuhn 2 1 0 0
Braulio Pena 1 0 0 0
Totals 28 5 7 4
Score by Innings
Heights 040 001 0 – 5 7 2
Northwestern 201 132 x – 9 6 3
3B: Tuma. SB: Tuma, Vondersaar. SAC: Hulen, Hochstedler.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
Guy Griffey 4 7 5 4
Hochstedler 2 2 0 2
Strikeouts: Griffey 5, Hochstedler 2. Walks: Griffey 6, Hochstedler 1.