The baseball sectional at Don Dunker Field in Noblesville became a marathon Wednesday night – and Thursday morning.
The Millers hosted Class 4A Sectional 8, playing the first of two opening-round games. Noblesville took on Zionsville in a game that started at 5:30 p.m., was halted by a lengthy rain delay, and didn’t finish until after 9 p.m.
Unfortunately, the game ended in a tough way for the Millers, as they fell to the Eagles 5-4 in extra inning. Zionsville advances to Saturday’s semi-finals, while Noblesville finished its season 14-15.
The second game didn’t begin until after 10 p.m., and saw Westfield take on Hamilton Southeastern. The Shamrocks won 5-2, with that contest finishing after midnight. Westfield plays the Eagles in the semi-finals, while the Royals ended their season 10-18.
THIRD-INNING HITS
Zionsville scored two runs in the top of the third inning on a center field single. The Millers answered right back in the bottom of the third. Kolby Kazmierski led off with a double, then scored a few plays later when Luke Wilson hit a sacrifice fly. On the next at-bat, Trevor Corbett blasted a two-run home run, also scoring Logan Shoffner.
With that, Noblesville had a 3-2 lead. The Eagles tied the game with a solo home run in the sixth inning. Neither team scored again by the end of the regulation seventh inning, so it was on to extra innings.
Zionsville hit a two-run double in the top of the eighth to get up 5-3. The Millers quickly loaded the bases, with Corbett and Nolan Decker drawing walks, then Drew Niswonger got on base with a bunt. Corbett got home on a wild pitch, with both Decker and Niswonger advancing a base as well. But the Eagles would let Noblesville get no closer, eventually finishing the game on a strikeout.
Bryce Riggs pitched six innings for the Millers, striking out seven and allowing only three hits.
SCORING EARLY
Westfield scored a run in the first inning and held the lead throughout the game. Maximus Webster brought Keaton Mahan home with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Shamrocks added three runs in the third inning. Trey Dorton doubled in Brayden Hibler, Webster hit a second sacrifice fly to score Mahan again, then Mac Clarke got Dorton home with his own sacrifice fly.
Westfield finished its scoring in the fourth inning when Hibler’s single sent Evan Russ home. Southeastern scored both of its runs in the sixth inning: Christian Beal singled in Griffen Haas, then Hunter Wright later scored on a wild pitch.
Hibler had two hits for the Shamrocks. Gage Stanifer went five innings for the win, striking out nine and giving up only two hits. Ty Anderson pitched the last two innings for the save, tossing three strikeouts against one hit.
Landon Riekhof had two hits for the Royals.
Westfield improved to 19-8 with the victory and plays Zionsville at 3 p.m. Saturday in the first game of the sectional semi-finals. Fishers and Carmel will then face off in the second semi-final, which starts at 6 p.m.
ZIONSVILLE 5, NOBLESVILLE 4
(8 innings)
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Trevor Corbett 1 2 1 2
Nolan Decker 3 0 0 0
Drew Niswonger 3 0 1 0
Josh Kern 3 0 0 0
Bryce Riggs 3 0 0 0
Jack Shade 3 0 0 0
Conner Bloss 1 0 0 0
Aidan Shoemaker 0 0 0 0
Kolby Kazmierski 4 1 1 0
Jacob Edwards 3 0 1 0
Luke Wilson 2 0 0 1
Logan Shoffner 0 1 0 0
Keegan Speek 0 0 0 0
Totals 26 4 4 3
Score by Innings
Zionsville 002 001 02 – 5 6 0
Noblesville 003 000 01 – 4 4 0
HR: Corbett. 2B: Kazmierski. SB: Shoffner. SAC: Wilson.
NHS pitching IP R ER H
Riggs 6 3 3 3
Decker 1 2 2 2
Kern 1 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Riggs 7, Kern 2, Decker 1. Walks: Riggs 2, Decker 1, Kern 1.
WESTFIELD 5, HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 2
Westfield AB R H RBI
Keaton Mahan 2 2 0 0
Trey Dorton 4 1 1 1
Maximus Webster 2 0 0 2
Collin Lindsey 2 0 1 0
Mac Clarke 2 0 0 1
Cole Ballard 3 0 0 0
Evan Russ 3 1 1 0
Luke Starr 0 0 0 0
Tyler Gentry 2 0 0 0
Brayden Hibler 3 1 2 1
Totals 23 5 5 5
2B: Dorton, Hibler. SB: Mahan, Russ, Starr. SAC: Webster 2, Clarke. HBP: Lindsey, Mahan.
Westfield pitching IP R ER H
Gage Stanifer (W) 5 2 0 2
Ty Anderson (S) 2 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Stanifer 9, Anderson 3. Walks: Stanifer 3, Anderson 1.
Southeastern AB R H RBI
Cole Earlewine 4 0 0 0
Landon Riekhof 4 0 2 0
Ty Bradle 3 0 0 0
Harrison Dilts 3 0 0 0
Eli Miller 2 0 0 0
Griffen Haas 0 1 0 0
Clayton Wilke 0 0 0 0
Chugga Rosario 1 0 0 0
Hunter Wright 2 1 0 0
Maddux Bach 0 0 0 0
Christian Beal 1 0 1 1
Michael Hoog 1 0 0 0
Ian Bucher 2 0 0 0
Totals 23 2 3 1
HBP: Haas 2, Miller.
HSE pitching IP R ER H
Brady Strawmeyer 1 0 0 0
Cole Howard 2 4 4 3
Colin St. Clair 1 0 0 0
Sam Reagan 3 1 1 2
Strikeouts: Howard 2, Reagan 2, Strawmeyer 1, St. Clair 1. Walks: Howard 2, St. Clair 1.
Score by Innings
Westfield 103 100 0 – 5 5 1
Southeastern 000 020 0 – 2 3 2