Baseball: Royals shut out Millers, ‘Hawks fly high over Horizon Christian, ‘Hounds hunt down McCutcheon, Huskies get the edge over Lapel

THE REPORTER

Hamilton Southeastern won an all-county and Hoosier Crossroads Conference baseball game over Class 4A No. 3 Noblesville Thursday, triumphing 5-0 at Ken Seitz Field.

The game was scoreless for four and a half innings before the Royals put up four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Griffen Haas sent a line drive into right field for a base hit, scoring Kam Seitz and Harrison Dilts. Clayton Wilke then got home on an error, and Cole Earlewine doubled in Haas.

Southeastern added one more run in the sixth inning. Seitz blasted a right field hit to bring in Alex Billman. Seitz had a perfect night at the plate, going 3-for-3.

Maddux Bach hit a double for the Royals in the second inning. Ty Bradle pitched six innings for the win, striking out nine and allowing three walks and two hits. Brady Strawmeyer finished the game with a three-up, three-down seventh inning.

Both of the Millers’ hits were doubles, one each from Nolan Decker and Aiden Reynolds. Decker pitched a complete game, striking out five.

Both teams are 6-3 in conference play. Southeastern is 11-10 overall, while Noblesville is 13-5. The two teams finish the HCC series today at the Millers’ Don Dunker Field.

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Sheridan cruised to an 11-1, five-inning victory over Horizon Christian in a Thursday home game.

The Blackhawks put up five runs in the first inning. Zach Bales scored the first run on an error, then Sebastian Salazar and Jack Crail got home after Camden Spencer reached on error. Camden Spencer later scored on a passed ball. Cole Mackintosh drew a walk, then scored on Chance Spencer’s RBI groundout.

Sheridan added four runs in the second inning. Caleb Alexander got home after Salazar reached on error. Salazar then scored after Crail reached on error. Camden Spencer hit a double to move Crail to third, and both were brought home by Mackintosh’s center field hit.

The score stayed 9-1 until the fifth inning. Alexander scored on Salazar’s sacrifice fly, then Bales stole home plate to end the game.

Camden Spencer had two hits. Bales pitched a complete game, striking out eight against two hits and one walk.

The Blackhawks are 5-10 and host Taylor in a Tuesday Hoosier Heartland Conference game.

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Carmel, ranked No. 9 in 4A, got a home victory on Thursday, beating McCutcheon 3-0 at Hartman Field.

The Greyhounds got on the board in the first inning, when Case Sullivan doubled Gabe Mathison home. Adam Buczkowski scored the second run when he stole home plate in the fifth inning. Drew Fouts completed the Carmel scoring in the sixth inning, sending JD Stein home with a right field hit.

Mathison was 2-for-2 at the plate. Max Winders got the complete-game win, striking out three while allowing just three hits and one walk.

Carmel is 10-5 and hosts Fishers this afternoon.

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Hamilton Heights won a close game over 2A No. 6 Lapel on Thursday, 3-2 at the Huskies’ field.

The difference was in the second inning, when Heights scored one run. Adam Hughes sent a base hit into center field to bring home John Irion.

The Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, but the Huskies got those runs back in the bottom of the inning. Dean Mason was sent home on a pitcher’s balk, then Hughes delivered the go-ahead RBI, as his left field single brought in Phoenix Vondersaar.

Nick Hulen got the pitching win in relief, throwing two innings. Levi Chandler got the save, throwing four strikeouts in the last two innings. Starter Kaleb Murray tossed four strikeouts in three innings.

Heights is 10-6 and plays this afternoon at Western Boone.

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Fishers fell to Avon 4-1 Thursday in an HCC game on the road.

The Orioles scored three runs in the second inning and held the lead from there. The Tigers scored their run in the third inning: Quinn Seefeldt got on base with a double, then Caulin Brown singled him in.

Jack Brown was 3-for-4 at the plate. Gavin Kuzniewski pitched a complete game, striking out five.

Fishers is 6-4 in the conference and 14-8 overall, and plays today at Carmel.

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University fell to 4A No. 4 Cathedral 4-0 in a Thursday away game.

Seth Hogg had two hits for the Trailblazers, with Owen Schellhase and Cooper Burnett both getting one hit. Jake Hooker pitched a complete game, tossing 12 strikeouts against three hits.

University is 10-7 and plays a doubleheader Saturday at Bloomington North.

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Westfield dropped an HCC game at Zionsville Thursday, falling 12-2 in five innings.

The Shamrocks scored a run in the top of the first inning; Eli Manbeck got home after Alex Rudloph drew a bases-loaded walk. But the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, thereafter scoring in each inning. Brayden Hibler scored a Westfield run in the fifth inning on an error.

Manbeck was 2-for-3 at the plate. Jacob Culp pitched three innings, striking out five.

The Shamrocks are 4-5 in HCC play and 10-7 overall, and host Zionsville tonight to complete the conference series.