By RICHIE HALL
The Noblesville softball team’s post-season run came to an end on Saturday, as the Millers were beaten by No. 2-ranked Lake Central 4-3 in the championship game of the Class 4A Harrison semi-state.
The Indians got the first two runs of the game in the top of the first inning, but Noblesville tied the game up in the bottom of the second. Ella White got on base with a center field hit, held there after a pop out to first base, then moved to second on a groundout.
That brought up Kyleigh Lowry, and she sent a single into left field to get White home. Lowry scored on the next at-bat: Abby Brown smacked a double into left field.
The score stayed 2-2 for most of the game before Lake Central scored twice in the top of the seventh. Gabriella Carra hit a single into right field that landed fair by inches and brought in two runs. The Millers got a run back in the bottom of the seventh; Lowry was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout, then scored on Olivia Stinson’s center field hit. That got Noblesville within one, but a groundout finished the game.
“We were within one,” said Noblesville coach Deke Bullard. “We had a couple of unfortunate hits go against us in the seventh that gave them their two runs. We unfortunately just couldn’t get them both back.
Stinson and White both had two hits. Madison Taylor pitched a complete game, tossing four strikeouts.
“We’re proud of the season they’ve had,” said Noblesville coach Deke Bullard. “We’re proud of the efforts they gave today. Today’s a hard day. You play a game at 1 o’clock in the heat, and then you have to kind of shut everything down and try to eat, hydrate, cool off, rest and then come back out and play another game against one of the top five teams in the state. Lake Central’s a great team, they’re a great program.”
In the morning semi-final, the Millers beat Leo 5-2 in eight innings, scoring three times in the eighth after the regulation seventh inning ended in a 2-2 tie.
White got on base with a left field hit, then moved to second after Taylor drew a walk. Abigail Harvey came in to run for Taylor, and both she and White advanced a base on a groundout.
Julia Furiak was next, and she cracked a double into center field to get both runners home. Shea Sterrett came in to run for Furiak, and she was scored by Lowry’s single. Leo loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth, but a double play ended the game.
Furiak was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Lowry went 2-for-3. Taylor pitched all eight innings, striking out five.
The Millers finished their season with a 21-11 record.
Noblesville 5, Leo 2
(8 innings)
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Abby Brown 5 0 0 0
Olivia Stinson 3 0 1 0
Chloe Tragesser 2 0 0 0
Alyssa Solomon 0 0 0 0
Ella White 4 1 1 0
Madison Taylor 3 0 0 0
Emily Minett 3 0 0 0
Julia Furiak 4 0 3 2
Grace Smith 4 0 1 1
Kyleigh Lowry 3 0 2 1
Abigail Harvey 0 1 0 0
Shea Sterrett 0 2 0 0
Maggie Hampton 0 1 0 0
Totals 31 5 8 4
Score by innings
Noblesville 020 000 03 – 5 8 1
Leo 001 010 00 – 2 7 2
2B: Furiak 2, Smith. SB: Solomon. SAC: Tragesser. HBP: Lowry.
Noblesville pitching IP R ER H
Taylor 8 2 1 7
Strikeouts: Taylor 5. Walks: Taylor 2.
Lake Central 4, Noblesville 3
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Abby Brown 4 0 1 1
Olivia Stinson 4 0 2 1
Chloe Tragesser 4 0 0 0
Madison Taylor 3 0 1 0
Emily Minett 3 0 0 0
Ella White 3 1 2 0
Julia Furiak 3 0 1 0
Grace Smith 2 0 0 0
Maggie Hampton 0 0 0 0
Kyleigh Lowry 2 2 1 1
Shea Sterrett 0 0 0 0
Abigail Harvey 0 0 0 0
Totals 28 3 8 3
Score by innings
Lake Central 200 000 2 – 4 7 1
Noblesville 020 000 1 – 3 8 1
2B: Brown. SAC: Hampton. HBP: Lowry.
Noblesville pitching IP R ER H
Taylor 7 4 3 7
Strikeouts: Taylor 4. Walks: Taylor 2.