By CRAIG ADKINS
FISHERS – It seems to be a common theme with spring sports this time of the year in central Indiana. The first game of this series was supposed to be played on Friday, but with scattered rain showered in the forecast, the Hoosier Crossroads Conference rivals moved the game up two nights to Wednesday.
The Millers found ways to take advantage of the Royals’ miscues in extra innings to capture the 5-1 win to take the first game in the HCC series at Ken Seitz Field.
Hamilton Southeastern was able to score right away in the first on a Landon Riekhof line drive to right that scored Ty Bradle to put the Royals up 1-0.
Cam Howard threw a solid six frames for HSE, striking out seven and six of those through the first three innings to keep the Millers in check.
Noblesville knotted the game 1-1 when Josh Kern singled to left to plate Kolby Kazmierski.
Nolan Decker had another solid outing of 6 ⅓ innings, giving up six hits and fanning two, while just allowing the one earned run.
The fifth through seventh innings were like a chess match and neither team could break through before heading to extra innings.
Lucas Stephan relieved Decker in the seventh and didn’t allow a hit and struck out a pair in 1 ⅔ innings.
Ethan Lund came out of the HSE bullpen in the seventh and Noblesville found sports to take advantage.
Drew Niswonger walked to start off the eight, then Decker was hit by a pitch. Both then proceeded to steal 3rd and 2nd base. Then, Luke Wilson was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs.
Niswonger then scored on a wild pitch by Lund to put the Millers up 2-1. Sophomore Logan Shoffner came in to pinch run for Decker. Kazmierski bunted to the pitcher, scoring Shoffner to make it 3-1.
Jacob Edwards doubled a line drive to left to send both Wilson and Kazmierski home to lengthen the lead to what wound up as the final score of 5-1.
Hamilton Southeastern drops to 6-12 (0-9 HCC) and is still looking for its first conference win. The Royals’ Landon Riekhof had two of their six team hits and drove in their lone run.
Noblesville improves to 10-8 (6-3 HCC) and is looking to sweep the series.
Lucas Stephan evened his season record (3-3), earning the win. Josh Kern’s two hits led the Miller hitting, along with Jacob Edwards’ two RBIs in the eighth
The two teams will meet at Noblesville’s Don Duker Field tonight for the second game of the series with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.
NOBLESVILLE 5, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 1
(8 innings)
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Drew Niswonger 3 1 0 0
Nolan Decker 3 0 0 0
Logan Shoffner 0 1 0 0
Luke Wilson 3 1 1 0
Bryce Riggs 4 0 0 0
Kolby Kazmierski 3 2 0 1
Josh Kern 4 0 2 1
Jacob Edwards 4 0 1 2
Conner Bloss 3 0 0 0
Elijah Bowers 3 0 1 0
Keegan Speek 0 0 0 0
Totals 30 5 5 4
2B: Edwards, Kern. SB: Decker, Kazmierski, Kern, Niswonger, Wilson. HBP: Decker.
NHS pitching IP R ER H
Decker 6.1 1 1 6
Lucas Stephan (W) 1.2 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Decker 2, Stephan 2. Walks: none.
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Cole Earlewine 3 0 1 0
Ty Bradle 3 1 1 0
Landon Riekhof 3 0 2 1
Eli Miller 3 0 0 0
Harrison Dilts 3 0 1 0
Griffen Haas 3 0 0 0
Hunter Wright 3 0 0 0
Christian Beal 3 0 0 0
Maddux Bach 2 0 1 0
Totals 26 1 6 1
2B: Riekhof.
HSE pitching IP R ER H
Cam Howard 6 1 0 2
Ethan Lund 2 4 4 3
Strikeouts: Howard 7, Lund 4. Walks: Howard 2, Lund 2.
Score by Innings
Noblesville 000 100 04 – 5 5 0
Southeastern 100 000 00 – 1 6 1