Millers top rival Royals, advance to sectional semifinals

Shamrocks fall after Eagles rally late

By RICHARD TORRES

For The Reporter

FISHERS – The Noblesville softball team arrived early for its Sectional 8 opener against rival Hamilton Southeastern at Fishers High School, and the Class 4A 10th-ranked Millers’ offense followed suit.

Noblesville kicked off the bottom of the first with a leadoff triple from Delaney Rundle and Brookelyn Grayson laced an ensuing RBI double, as the Millers connected for 11 hits overall to eliminate defending state champion HSE, 9-4, on Memorial Day.

Class 4A third-ranked Zionsville won Monday’s second quarterfinal matchup, 2-1, over Westfield (12-12), joining the Millers as sectional semi-finalists on Tuesday.

“Not what we were expecting. We knew coming in that we would have to get more than one (run),” Noblesville coach Deke Bullard said. “That was our plan coming in. We wanted to get three. We knew they weren’t going to go down without a fight.”

Last year, HSE (17-8) defeated Noblesville, 5-2, in the sectional final en route to the program’s third state championship and first since 2010.

During their regular-season Hoosier Crossroads Conference meeting Noblesville enacted some revenge with a 1-0 victory on May 6, but the HCC runner-up Millers had a sweep on their minds.

The Millers’ primary focus was challenging HSE ace Grace Swedarsky (12-5), who limited Noblesville to five hits and no walks while striking out eight earlier this month.

The Millers built a 2-0 lead after the first inning and broke a 2-2 tie with a monstrous seven-run bottom of the fifth, chasing Swedarsky after 4.1 innings. The junior right-hander struck out four, walked one and surrendered seven runs on nine hits.

“We all know Grace is a very good player, and she’s a very good pitcher, so she knew what she was up against, but once Noblesville got on, they just kept going,” HSE coach Emily Pusti said.

With only a handful of starters back from last year’s state championship lineup, the young, ninth-ranked Royals left eight runners on base and logged four hits led by senior Leah Paris (1-for-1, 2 RBI) and junior Kaitlyn Burdick (1-for-1, RBI, double).

The Royals plated two more runs in the top of the seventh, but a double play and a ground out halted their attempt at a late rally.

Sophomore Addison Retzinger (4-3) pitched 6.2 innings with six strikeouts, seven walks issued and two runs allowed to earn the win.

“Obviously, you lead off the game with a triple and to follow it up with a double that’s a good way to get going,” Bullard said. “The kids saw the ball well tonight, but I don’t think that score is indicative of that team. Our bats just got hot.”

The Millers had five extra-base hits. Senior Addi Emmerson (2-for-4, 2 RBI) finished with a double in the fourth and a two-run home run in the fifth. Grayson (3-for-3, 2 RBI) and sophomore Maggie Kern (1-for-4, 3 RBI) added a double apiece.

“I feel like after our loss last year in the sectional championship we really had something to prove against HSE,” Emmerson said. “We knew what she was going to pitch us, and she’s a good pitcher, but we can hit her.”

The Westfield Shamrocks took a 1-0 lead over HCC champion Zionsville in the top of the third on a passed ball to score junior Sofia Easterhaus (2-for-3, double) and held the advantage into the sixth inning.

Westfield senior ace Chloe Tanner (1-for-3, double) carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the fourth before a single by senior Abbie Geib (1-for-3) ended her run.

Errors ultimately hurt the Rocks, however, with four overall, including one to open the bottom of the sixth, which sparked Zionsville’s two-run frame.

Zionsville junior ace Leah Helton scattered six hits over 7.0 innings with seven strikeouts. The Eagles beat the Rocks, 5-0, during their regular-season meeting on May 6.

“I really felt like we played them 2-1, 3-1 the first time we played them. We made a couple of mistakes that cost us outs, and they scored after what could have been three outs, and I told them, if we cleaned it up, we’d have a chance. And we had a chance,” Westfield coach Brian Revercomb said. “They just made a few more plays than we did tonight.”