Hamilton Southeastern finished its first Hoosier Crossroads Conference series of the season with a sweep.
The Royals beat Brownsburg 12-8 at the Bulldogs’ field, overcoming an early deficit. Brownsburg got up 3-0 in the first inning with a three-run home run. Southeastern got two of them back in the second inning when Harrison Dilts smacked a right field double to score Zack Wagner and Colin Goley.
In the fourth inning, the Royals scored three runs to take a 5-3 lead. Cole Earlewine drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Matthew Becher. Next up was Griffen Haas, and he was hit by a pitch to score Dilts. Alex Billman hit a sacrifice fly to get Maddux Bach home.
Southeastern picked up the pace in the fifth inning with six runs, all with two outs. Earlewine singled in Kam Seitz and Chugga Rosario, then Haas doubled to center field to bring in Earlewine and Bach. Billman and Wagner both drew walks to load the bases, then Clayton Wilke’s center field hit scored Eli Lantz (running for Billman) and Haas. After all that, HSE led 11-3.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the bottom of the fifth, but the Royals scored in the top of the sixth when Bach batted in Goley. Brownsburg scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Southeastern let the Bulldogs get no close. Brady Strawmeyer pitched a perfect seventh inning to clinch the sweep.
Haas had two hits on the night. Ethan Lund got the pitching win, throwing four and two-thirds innings with six strikeouts.
The Royals are 2-0 in conference play and 4-3 overall. They host Pendleton Heights at 6 p.m. tonight.