Baseball roundup: Royals win wild game at Columbus North

The REPORTER

The Hamilton Southeastern baseball team won a back-and-forth game at Columbus North 9-8 on Monday.

The Royals got on the board in the top of the first inning when Clark Bucher smacked a two-run home run, also scoring Jackson Bixler. The Bull Dogs came back in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs, then surged further ahead with four runs in the second inning for a 7-2 lead.

Parker O’Steen scored for Southeastern in the third inning on Cy Cole’s RBI groundout. The Royals tied the game with four runs in the fourth inning: Alex Shepherd cleared the bases with a three-run double, sending O’Steen, Kian Kelly and Bucher home. Karson Seitz came in to run for Shepherd and was brought in by a Trey McManama double.

Southeastern took the lead for good in the fifth inning. Bixler scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, then Bucher scored on another wild pitch. That put the Royals up 9-7; Columbus North led off the seventh inning with a home run, but HSE got the next three outs.

McManama went 3-for-3 at the plate, while O’Steen hit a double. Spencer Mohr pitched six innings for the win, striking out eight.

The Royals are off to Tennessee this weekend, taking on Hinsdale South and Northeast on Friday.

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Guerin Catholic rolled over Frankton 15-1 in five innings on Tuesday.

Four Golden Eagles – Ian Taylor, Karson Smith, Carsen Kail and Ben Canada, all hit home runs. Kail also hit two doubles, while Taylor smacked a triple. Smith and Canada each hit one double. All four players totaled three RBIs, with Kail going 3-for-3 at the plate.

Tate Troxell pitched 2.1 innings, striking out five.

Guerin Catholic is 2-0 and hosts Warren Central at 5:30 p.m. today.

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Westfield was on the wrong end of a comeback at 4A No. 1 Center Grove on Monday, as the Trojans came back to beat the Shamrocks 11-10.

The Rocks led 2-0 after the first inning on a two-run single from Beck Jordan. Andrew Noble and Lincoln Hoffman both scored runs.

Jordan struck again in the second inning with another two-RBI base hit, scoring Noble and Gabe Garcia. Gavin Russ sent a double into center field to score Jordan. The Trojans got on the board with a sacrifice fly run, making the score 5-1.

Westfield increased its lead to 8-1 in the top of the third inning. Maddox Novotney smacked a two-RBI hit, scoring Nick Fero and Kasen Jessup. Jordan then batted in another run, sending Novotney home with a sacrifice fly.

Center Grove added two runs in the bottom of the third, cutting the Rocks’ lead to 8-3. Westfield got a run back in the fourth inning after Robbie Brandenberg singled in Jessup.

The Trojans scored one run in each of the fifth and sixth innings, making the score 9-5. Jordan singled in Novotney in the top of the seventh to put the Shamrocks up 10-5, but Center Grove scored six in the bottom of the seventh to get the win.

Noble was 3-for-3 at the plate, while Jordan was 3-for-4 and totaled six RBIs.

Westfield plays at Franklin Central this evening for its first Hoosier Crossroads Conference game of the season.

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Fishers opened its season Monday by falling to Homestead 5-4.

The Tigers scored their first run in the top of the first inning; Vincent Pecoraro got home on David Pina’s RBI groundout. The Spartans scored in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1.

Carter Scrole scored on an error in the third inning, giving Fishers a 2-1 lead. But Homestead took the lead in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs to go up 3-2.

Pina sent the Tigers ahead in the fifth inning with a two-run home run, also scoring Ethan Buelt. The Spartans scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and held the lead for the remainder of the game.

Strole finished the game with two hits, including a double. He also pitched four innings, striking out three.

Fishers will begin its Tennessee trip on Friday with two games, taking on Houston at 1:30 p.m. and Rossview at 4 p.m.