Softball: McCarter’s two homers send Royals past Rocks

The REPORTER

Hamilton Southeastern won an all-county and Hoosier Crossroads Conference game 7-2 Tuesday at Westfield.

The Royals got on the board in the third inning after Jaycee McCarter hit a three-run home run into right field. Addy Richmond and Kaleah McCarter also scored.

The Shamrocks scored their runs in the fourth inning. Alyssa Ayres got home on a wild pitch, then Dylan Todd scored after Sofia Easterhaus reached on an error.

Southeastern saved its biggest hit for the seventh inning. The Royals loaded the bases, then Jaycee McCarter sent a grand slam into center field. Lilly Palmer, Richmond and Kaleah McCarter also scored.

The two home runs gave Jaycee McCarter seven RBIs for the game on two hits. Richmond was 3-for-4 at the plate. Kaleah McCarter had two hits and Haleigh Seitz hit a double. Kaleah McCarter pitched five innings for the win, striking out eight.

Easterhaus and Annika Lawrence had two hits for Westfield, with Mariana Lopez and Makayla Watson each hitting a double.

Southeastern is 4-2 in conference play and 15-4 overall and travels to Yorktown on Thursday. The Rocks are 2-4 in the HCC and 11-9-1 overall and Westfield play at Ben Davis Friday.

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Noblesville gave the HCC standings a jolt on Tuesday when it blasted Brownsburg 16-5 in an away game.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning, then the Millers’ Bella Hughes singled in a run during the third inning. The Bulldogs briefly took a 4-3 lead after scoring twice in the bottom of the third, but it was all Noblesville after that.

Reese Newsom scored the tying run in the fourth inning on Lilly Brown’s sacrifice fly. Kinley Westbrook scored a fifth-inning run on a wild pitch, putting the Millers ahead 5-4.

Noblesville let loose in the sixth running, scoring seven runs. Brown got home after Allie Thompson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Izzy Zapp blasted a three-run double, Haley Schatko singled in a run, then Brown cracked a two-RBI single.

The Millers rolled through the seventh inning. Schatko and Maggie Kern both singled in a run, then Brown sent both of them home with a right field double.

Schatko was perfect at the plate, hitting 5-for-5. The Millers totaled 20 hits in all. Westbrook was also flawless, hitting 4-for-4. Brown was 3-for-4, driving in five runs. Zapp also collected three hits, batting in three runs.

Addison Retzinger pitched a complete game, striking out six.

Noblesville handed Brownsburg its first conference loss of the season. The Bulldogs are 4-1 in HCC play, with the Millers right behind at 3-1.

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Hamilton Heights fell to Logansport 16-3 on Tuesday to begin a Hoosier Conference series.

The Huskies scored their first run in the second inning. Kamryn Rhoton hit a one-out double, then was sent home by Ellie Engle’s double. McKenzie Jackson hit a two-run home run in the third inning, also scoring Heather Crays.

Heights is 11-5 and travels to Logansport tonight to complete the series.