By CRAIG ADKINS
NOBLESVILLE – On Saturday afternoon at Dunker Field, the fans couldn’t have asked for better weather and most importantly, two great baseball games in the semifinal matchups, but unfortunately two teams’ seasons would come to an end.
Two close games that were decided by one and two runs, respectively, set up what will be quite the sectional championship on Monday. Zionsville produced a big three-run second to overcome Westfield 3-2 and Fishers fought back from down 3-0 in the first to claim a 5-3 win, setting up an all-HCC sectional championship game.
BIG INNING PUSHES ZIONSVILLE INTO CHAMPIONSHIP
The Zionsville Eagles only needed one inning offensively and then they let their defense do the tough work in fending off a feisty Westfield squad, 3-2.
Designated hitter Nash Wagner wasted no time with the first pitch he saw from Kade Robinson. Wagner sent the ball sailing over the fence in dead center for a 400-foot solo home run to put the Eagles up 1-0.
Easton Moore then singled to shallow right. Jackson Hughes singled on the first pitch to him, sending it to right, moving Moore over to third. Wrigley Bumgardner would come up clutch, singling to left to plate Moore and then Hughes was able to score on the same play from an error by left fielder Evan Russ, giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead.
“Wrigley has come up and he hits the ball well. It’s nice having him in the nine spot, knowing that far down in the order that we’ve got someone who can barrel it up. And, especially with his speed, he’s a threat there as well,” said Zionsville head coach Jerad Moore on sophomore left fielder Wrigley Bumgardner and how pivotal his first at-bat became.
The outcome came down to that key top of the second.
“We gave up the big inning and ultimately that’s what it came down to. We gave up the big inning and they denied us the big inning and you get a 3-2 ballgame that way,” said Westfield head coach Ryan Bunnell.
“Kade, pitched his heart out and after that inning, settled in and pitched just fantastic and I hate that we didn’t get the win for him. That’s the way this game goes sometimes,” stated Bunnell on the performance of senior starting pitcher Kade Robinson.
Zionsville starting pitcher Aidan Fitzsimmons had once again put together a solid outing on the mound. His previous start on May 19 at Noblesville, he tossed four innings, striking out five and only giving up two hits in a 16-4 win over the Millers. On Saturday, he yielded three hits in four and two-thirds innings.
Westfield started to rally in the bottom of the fifth. Brayden Hibler singled to shallow right with one out. He would be driven home on a Trey Dorton liner up the middle to cut the Eagles’ lead to 3-1. Maximus Webster walked for runners at first and second. Collin Lindsey then reached on an error by shortstop Jackson Hughes, allowing Dorton to score, narrowing the gap to 3-2.
“That’s what he does, he fills up the zone. And, depending on who we’re playing, sometimes his strikeouts will be up. Usually when he throws, they don’t hit him hard. And they didn’t get to him until that fifth inning,” stated Moore on his senior right-handed hurler Aidan Fitzsimmons.
“That’s the kind of pitching performance we’ve been getting out of Aidan all year. It got a little rough in the first inning, walked a few, but overall he’s commanded the zone throughout the course of the season,” Moore continued to praise Fitzsimmons’ pitching performance.
Caleb Everson came in to relieve Fitzsimmons with two down in the fifth and the Shamrocks just couldn’t muster up any more offense to overcome the 3-2 deficit. Everson did his due diligence. He forced two ground outs, three flyball outs and struck out two, closing it out for the save.
“Everson hasn’t got a lot of innings and he went out there and closed the door,” said Moore on Everson’s relief appearance.
Westfield bowed out of the 2022 season with a record of 19-9.
Zionsville is now 19-11 with the win and will face Fishers (22-7) in the sectional championship Monday at 2 p.m.
FISHERS GETS TWO LATE RUNS, ADVANCES TO TITLE GAME
The Carmel Greyhounds were ready to play and got their bats going early in the home half of the first.
Nathan MacLaren walked on eight pitches to lead off. Hunter Snow doubled down the right field line, scoring MacLaren from first for the early 1-0 edge. Snow advanced to third on a throwing error by Fishers right-fielder Curtis Kearschner.
Cody Kantz sent a single up the middle, scoring Snow to make it 2-0. The Greyhounds’ third run of the inning came on an RBI single from Dan Cunningham’s left-handed bat with a single to right, plating Kantz for a 3-0 lead.
“It was a great baseball game,” said Carmel head coach Matt Buczkowski. “Obviously, Fishers is a top notch club. I’m so happy and proud of my guys. It took a very disciplined approach offensively and I thought our kids did a really good job. We just didn’t get a hit when we needed it,” stated Buczkowski complimenting his team, even though it wasn’t the expected outcome.
The Fishers Tigers clawed right back and answered right away in the top of the second and tied things 3-3.
“It speaks volumes to them. This group has been together the last couple years. We added a few pieces this year, and graduated a few. We came from behind against Homestead in the very first game of 2021. We talked then and we have carried momentum that we’re never out of a game,” said Fishers head coach Matthew Cherry on his team’s ability to stay in games and come from behind.
“We associate it with life a lot. This is a ministry to me and I try to teach the guys about life and we talk a lot about adversity and how to fight through it,” continued Cherry on his style of coaching his team.
Kearschner doubled to left with one out. JP Preston reached on an infield single for two on. Gavin Clayton grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Kearschner, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
Then, with the bases loaded, Joey Brenczewski singled past Kantz at second, getting Clayton home for a 3-2 score. Huey Dunn scored on an error by third baseman Case Sullivan, tying the game 3-3.
After Tigers starting pitcher Tate Warner got into trouble and gave up the three first inning runs, he was pulled and fellow senior Joey Wilmoth was available to take over.
“He’s a special young man,” stated Cherry on Joey Wilmoth. “He came in last year as our number one, and struggled mentally. He’s worked really hard on his mental aspect, read a lot of books and kind of locked in mentally,” continued Cherry on Wilmoth’s transformation as a person and player.
“Last year, I had a decent off-season. I went out, it was rough and lost all of my confidence,” said Fishers pitcher Joey Wilmoth on his new mental approach and bullpen role.
“I completely changed my mindset early on and became the guy who just wanted to go in whenever he got the chance, instead of wanting that certain role. The coaches believe in me and that’s built my confidence so much,” continued Wilmoth on how he’s gotten to this point as a reliever.
Wilmoth (6-1) was able to focus from the moment he stepped on the mound. He threw 111 pitches total and struck out 13 Greyhound hitters in his seven innings. He walked three, hit one and scattered just two doubles, the only hits for Carmel after Warner’s exit.
“There’s something about him starting that doesn’t quite work, but when he comes in relief, he’s lights out,” continued Cherry on Wilmoth’s dominant bullpen performance.
Fishers was able to tack on one of their two insurance runs in the top of the fifth with two down. Dom Oliverio delivered a solo home run to deep left center for a 4-3 Tiger lead.
The Tigers added another in the top of the seventh for a two-run cushion. Jack Brown got his second hit of the game. He would score on a JP Preston base hit to right that would account for the final score of 5-3.
Carmel closes out their season at 18-9.
Fishers improves to 22-7 and will meet up with Zionsville for the Sectional 8 crown on Monday. The Tigers swept the HCC series with the Eagles 3-2 and 13-3, but it will be a much tighter game, vying for a sectional championship.
ZIONSVILLE 3, WESTFIELD 2
Westfield AB R H RBI
Keaton Mahan 3 0 0 0
Trey Dorton 4 1 1 1
Maximus Webster 2 0 0 0
Collin Lindsey 2 0 1 1
Mac Clarke 2 0 1 0
Cole Ballard 3 0 0 0
Evan Russ 3 0 0 0
Luke Starr 0 0 0 0
Tyler Gentry 3 0 0 0
Brayden Hibler 3 1 1 0
Totals 25 2 4 2
Score by Innings
Zionsville 030 000 0 – 3 5 0
Westfield 000 020 0 – 2 4 1
SB: Hibler, Mahan. HBP: Clarke.
Westfield pitching IP R ER H
Kade Robinson 7 3 3 5
Strikeouts: Robinson 5. Walks: none.
FISHERS 5, CARMEL 3
Fishers AB R H RBI
Joey Brenczewski 2 0 1 1
Carson Dunn 4 0 1 0
Jack Brown 4 1 3 0
Caulin Brown 4 0 0 0
Dom Oliverio 4 1 1 1
Curtis Kearschner 3 1 2 0
JP Preston 3 0 2 1
Joe Hietpas 1 0 0 0
Gavin Clayton 3 1 0 1
Huey Dunn 1 1 0 0
Totals 29 5 10 4
HR: Oliverio. 2B: Dunn, Kearschner. SB: Brenczewski, J. Brown, Clauton. SAC: Clayton. HBP: Brenczewski.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Tate Warner 0 3 3 3
Joey Wilmoth (W) 7 0 0 2
Strikeouts: Wilmoth 13. Walks: Wilmoth 4, Warner 1.
Carmel AB R H RBI
Nathan MacLaren 2 1 0 0
Hunter Snow 4 1 1 1
Cody Kantz 3 1 1 1
Dan Cunningham 4 0 1 0
Tripp Schroeder 1 0 0 0
Griffin Wolf 3 0 2 1
JD Stein 3 0 0 0
Case Sullivan 2 0 0 0
Adam Buczkowski 1 0 0 0
Drew Fouts 2 0 0 0
Nathan Williams 0 0 0 0
Totals 25 3 5 3
2B: Snow, Wolf. SB: Cunningham, Snow, Williams. HBP: MacLaren.
Carmel pitching IP R ER H
Cam Heaney 4 3 1 6
Dylan Zenor 3 2 2 4
Strikeouts: Zenor 4, Heaney 3. Walks: Heaney 3, Zenor 1.
Score by Innings
Fishers 030 010 1 – 5 10 2
Carmel 300 000 0 – 3 5 3