HEAD: No. 2 Noblesville baseball off to great start
By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
The Noblesville baseball team got their season off to a great start during the first week of spring break. Five games out of state against some of the best in Kentucky and Tennessee help springboard them into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Noblesville 11, St. Xavier (KY) 7 (8 innings)
During their first week of spring break, they headed to Louisville, Ky. to face perennial powerhouse St. Xavier. Noblesville tied it in the top of the seventh 7-7. The Millers roughed up the Tigers for four runs in the top of the eighth and shut down the hosts in the home half to secure the season opening win.
Aided by junior Aiden Ramsey’s home run, he was one of four to go for 2-for-5 at the plate. Sophomore Aiden Reynolds, along with juniors Trevor Corbett and McCoy Fulk made up that quartet that had eight of the 12 hits.
The Millers then headed to east Tennessee to the Murfreesboro area for four games in three days as part of the Warrior Classic.
Siegel (TN) 3, Noblesville 2
Last Thursday, they visited the Siegel Stars out of Murfreesboro. The Stars got on the board 1-0 in the bottom of the first. Noblesville was able to grab the lead in the top of the third. Senior Brady Bishop scored on a wild pitch to tie it 1-1. Ramsey walked with the bases loaded to score Corbett for a 2-1 lead.
The Stars tied it 2-2 in the last of the fifth and were able to get the bases loaded themselves in the bottom of the seventh, getting the win on a walk-off walk.
“I think while the loss stung on Thursday night, we did a lot of good things. We were as sharp as we needed to be on defense or make the plays we needed to, but we were better than we were Monday when we won,” said 20th-year Noblesville head coach Justin Keever.
“What was consistent was the resilience and fight in the guys. I was very proud of the effort,” continued Keever.
Noblesville 10, Science Hill 0 (5 innings)
Friday afternoon’s first matchup was a quick five-inning affair at Oakland against Science Hill. Scoring in bunches with a dominant fourth inning with seven runs, two more in the bottom of the fifth won it in five over the Hilltoppers from Johnson City.
Fulk scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second to score the first run.
Joe Glander doubled in the fourth to score Nash Watson. Trevor Corbett drove in a pair with a single to center. Blake Widget touched home on an Reynolds pop fly to second. Nolan Decker sent two home on a grounder to left for a 7-0 lead.
Fulk walked with the bags loaded, sending Jacob Baker home for an 8-0 cushion.
Reynolds put the game away in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run double, plating Josh Peek and Corbett, making quick work of Science Hill.
Glander made his varsity debut on the mound, striking out six, walking just two in five innings. Corbett and Reynolds led the way at the plate, each going 3-for-4. Reynolds also had two doubles, while Corbett, Glander and Josh Peek also doubled.
“We have several guys that have done a nice job at the plate with quality at-bats. We are going to play a lot of people throughout the game. So far our guys have been great in their roles,” stated Keever.
Noblesville 10, Oakland 3
The Millers capped off Friday night with another convincing win.
Oakland got up 1-0 in the bottom of the first, it turned into another offensive show for the Millers.
Back-to-back doubles from Reynolds and Baker put Noblesville up 2-1. Reynolds scored, pushing it to 3-1.
Corbett’s sacrifice fly in the fifth added another. Reynolds and Glander both scored with Baker up when he grounded out to short, making it 6-2.
Four more runs in the top of the seventh cemented the win for the Millers.
Reynolds had an RBI double and three runs. Ramsey had two doubles, while Baker drove in two.
Lucas Stephan threw five innings, striking out six. Freshman Eli Hall relieved Stephan in the sixth, providing two innings to get the win.
Noblesville 15, Beech 3 (6 innings)
The Millers finished off their four-game Warrior Classic slate in Hendersonville against the Beech Buccaneers.
Beech got up 2-0 in the home half of the first, but that didn’t last long.
Noblesville scored seven in the second and three in the third and were up 11-2 after four.
Trevor Corbett then launched a grand slam on a line drive over the center field fence that gave the Millers the win.
Corbett led with his grand slam. Reynolds, Baker, Decker, Bishop and Glander each drove in two.
“I think seeing teams who have over 20 games under their belt helps us in our preparation for the HCC season, as they are playing at a speed and awareness level we may not be totally at since we are on games 2-5. I thought as the week went on our pace and perception got better and better,” Keever continued.
Noblesville (4-1) opens HCC play at Avon (3-1) on Thursday.
“Avon is a good ball club. They have a talented roster, and will have our full attention,” Keever said.