Royals win top 10 battle

The REPORTER

The Hamilton Southeastern softball team got a walk-off win Thursday in a battle of top 10 teams.

The host and Class 4A No. 8 Royals beat 2A No. 4 Lapel 3-2. The Bulldogs scored two runs in the top of the third inning, but Southeastern answered back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Maya Valenta got home on Madison Burlingame’s RBI fielder’s choice, then Carly McCall scored on Maggie Jenkins’ RBI groundout.

The game stayed at 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh inning. Leah Paris hit a one-out single into center field to score Addison Richmond and give the Royals the victory.

Richmond and McCall both had two hits, including a double for McCall. Natavia Wright also hit a double. McCall got the pitching win, throwing 4.2 innings and striking out four.

Southeastern is 12-6 and plays a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game at 6 p.m. tonight at Brownsburg.

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Noblesville won a road game at Kokomo 16-0 in five innings on Thursday.

The 4A No. 7 Millers led 4-0 after two innings, then put up 11 runs in the third inning. Brookelyn Grayson was 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring two more.

Izzy Zapp, Haley Schatko and Faye Hostetler all had two hits, including a double for Hostetler. Roslyn Ervin hit a two-RBI double in the third inning, after Allie Thompson had a three-RBI hit in the same inning. Delaney Rundle scored three runs, while Schatko scored two.

Ervin pitched all five innings, striking out four and allowing one hit and no walks.

Noblesville is 15-5 and travels to Center Grove this evening to face the 4A No. 2 Trojans.

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Westfield nearly made a comeback on Roncalli, one of the No. 1 teams in 3A on Thursday before the Royals held on for an 8-7 win.

Roncalli led 6-0 after three innings. The Shamrocks scored four in the top of the fourth: Ava Kainrath doubled in Makayla Watson, then Reese Mahannah smacked a three-run home run over the center field fence, scoring Annika Lawrence (running for Kainrath) and Chloe Tanner.

The Royals added a run in the bottom of the fourth to lead 7-4. Cam Pulice singled in Lawrence in the top of the sixth, and Roncalli answered that with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, making the score 8-5.

Westfield scored two runs with two outs in the seventh inning; Lawrence and Watson both got home after Kainrath reached on an error. The ‘Rocks had the bases loaded, but a groundout finished the game.

Watson, Kainrath and Pulice all had two hits.

Westfield is 9-7 and hosts Mt. Vernon at 6 p.m. tonight.