Softball: Huskies beat Northwestern, Carmel & Noblesville each cruise to victory

(Left) Sheridan’s Emma Settles was 3-for-3 at the plate during the Blackhawks’ Wednesday game at Covenant Christian. (Dwight Casler) (Right) Hamilton Heights’ Melanee Forrester scored a first-inning run for the Huskies during the Wednesday win over Northwestern. (Richie Hall)

THE REPORTER

The Hamilton Heights softball team got a nice Hoosier Conference East Division win over Northwestern on Wednesday, beating the Tigers 6-2 in a home game.

The Huskies got on the board right away with three runs in the first inning. Hailey Hall got the first run, scoring when Melanee Forrester reached on error. Forrester later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Lily Roush, then Lily Cash got home on a passed ball.

Heights added two runs in the second inning; Morgan Ottinger and Hall scored when Cash reached on error. The Huskies picked up one more run in the fifth inning when Kaylee Rhoton singled in Cash.

Hall finished the game with two hits. Roush pitched a complete game, striking out nine against just three hits and two walks.

Heights is 4-2 in division play and 10-5 overall. The Huskies host Lewis Cass on Tuesday to begin their final division series of the season.

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Carmel roared back to beat Zionsville 5-2 Wednesday at Cherry Tree Softball Complex.

The Eagles scored one run in both the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead. The Greyhounds took the lead in the third inning with a three-run home run by Jayden Kleiner. Hope McDonald and Lily Sullivan also scored.

Carmel added to its lead with two runs in the sixth inning. Sophie Esposito sent a double into right field, scoring both Kleiner and Gracyn Erickson.

Lucy Broughton pitched a complete game, allowing only five hits.

The Greyhounds are 2-9 and play this evening at Tri-West.

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Noblesville cruised to a 13-2, five-inning win over Cathedral Wednesday in a home game.

The Millers scored two runs in the first inning, starting with an RBI single from Gabby Fowler to score Reis Sjoholm. Fowler later scored on a passed ball. Noblesville added two more runs in the third inning: Addi Emmerson’s left field hit brought in Fowler, then Hailey Schatko drove in Taylor Thompson with a single.

In the fourth inning, the Millers let loose for nine runs. Mack Harvey brought in Delaney Rundle with a base hit, then Fowler blasted a three-run home run to left field, also scoring Bella Schatko and Harvey. That gave Noblesville an 8-2 lead.

Hailey Schatko was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, sending Thompson home. Erin Clark then scored on a wild pitch, Tatum Ball got home on Rundle’s sacrifice fly, Sjoholm batted in Nevaeh Nash with a center field hit, and Bella Schatko doubled Sjoholm home.

Fowler was 3-for-3 at the plate and totaled four RBIs. Sjoholm, Bella Schatko, Harvey and Ball each had two hits, with Harvey hitting a double. Emme Yee went three innings for the pitching win.

Noblesville is 7-6 and hosts Pendleton Heights this afternoon.

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Sheridan fell to Covenant Christian 17-4 Wednesday in a five-inning away game.

The Blackhawks scored one run in each of the first four innings. Mariana Lopez doubled in Chaney Smith for the first run. Emma Settles scored in the second inning, then batted in Claire Purciful with a third-inning single. Cecelia Cox singled in Jacquellynne Bates in the fourth inning.

Settles was 3-for-3 at the plate, with Lopez and Shelby Eaton both getting two hits.

Sheridan is 1-12 and plays a Hoosier Heartland Conference game this afternoon at Tri-Central.