Softball: Millers cool off red-hot Arabians, win second straight

By RICHARD TORRES

For The Reporter

PENDLETON – Noblesville head coach Deke Bullard was thinking line drive. Frosh Reese Newsom just wanted to put the ball in play.

Neither were exactly right on Thursday night at Pendleton Heights’ Legends Field, but nonetheless the result ended up being perfect-perfect.

With two runners on base, one out and Noblesville trailing 1-0, Newsom pinch hit for classmate Izzy Zapp in the top of the third, and she made coach Bullard look like a genius.

Newsom connected on Pendleton Heights’ Shelby Messer’s first pitch of the at-bat and laced it over the left-field fence, flipping the margin, 3-1, and powering the Millers to a 6-4 victory.

The three-run blast was Newsom’s first home run of the season, and it turned the tide, as the Millers (8-7) totaled eight hits, drew three walks and plated three more runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings.

“I bring her in to pinch hit and she hits a home run, I’m like, ‘Hey, I look so smart,’” Bullard joked. “I knew I could bring her in just one time, and Reese has shown power, so that’s why I brought her in.”

The timing was ideal with Messer struggling with her command in the circle and three runners reaching base before Newsom’s number was called.

Following a fielder’s choice by Delaney Rundle (1-for-4), Newsom stepped up to the plate, and she wasted little time to put Noblesville up 3-1.

“It felt really good. Having runners on base I was just looking to put the bat on the ball somewhere,” Newsom said. “I was running to second (when it cleared the fence). I really didn’t think it went that far, but then I heard everyone start screaming, and I was like, ‘Oh.’”

The 11^th-ranked Class 4A Arabians (11-5), who had won seven straight games entering Thursday, were equally as surprised by Newsom’s extra-base hit – only her second this spring.

But for a Millers’ lineup that showcases seven hitters with batting averages of .300 or better and several reserves on the same level, it was simply finding the right opportunity.

“She hasn’t hit home runs this year. She’s hit good line drives, so with runners on we had already been talking about it coming up in that situation. If we had runners on, then it would be a good opportunity for her to come in and hit her typical line drive in the gap,” Bullard said. “She decides to just hit it over the fence and then run a five-second home run trot. She was a little fast (around the bases).”

The Arabians jumped out quick and led 1-0 after a solo home run by Alana Smith in the bottom of the second.

Pendleton Heights posted a three-run bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit 5-4, but Noblesville’s pitching trio of Lulu Van Beek, Emme Yee and Claire Cullen protected the advantage, while the lineup produced three late insurance runs.

“Pendleton is always a good team. They’re always a well hitting team, so we knew they were going to hit well, and we were going to have to hold them on defense. I think we did a good job,” Bullard said. “We made some mistakes, but the mistakes did not cost us as much when we made those mistakes.”

Other than a mistake pitch by Van Beek to Smith in the second inning, the right-hander cruised through the first four frames, retiring five straight hitters at one point.

The Arabians chased Van Beek in the bottom of the fifth following a leadoff single, a throwing error and an RBI double by Kiah Hubble (1-for-4). Van Beek earned the win with one strikeout, two walks and four hits allowed in 4.0 innings pitched.

Yee pitched 2.0 innings of relief, walking three with three hits and no runs permitted. Cullen recorded the save with a perfect bottom of the seventh, striking out one.

Pendleton Heights plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth despite loading the bases four times in the inning and five times overall, including with two outs in the sixth.

Both times Yee induced inning-ending pop ups. The Arabians stranded nine runners on base. Five were in scoring position.

The Millers increased their lead 5-1 in the top of the fifth off a Rundle RBI double that chased Messer, and an Arabians’ error to score Zapp (1-for-3) from third base with one out.

The Millers had two runners on base before Pendleton Heights turned a double play to escape further damage.

An RBI single by Chloe Vetter (2-for-3) in the top of the sixth pushed Noblesville’s margin to two runs before Cullen came in to slam the door.

Cullen, the Millers’ ace, now has two saves this season. Her first save came against Lawrence North on April 12.

“Claire threw a great game last night (against Westfield). She threw about 160 pitches last night. My plan was not to go to her, but then we made the decision late in the game. I said, ‘If we’re up in the seventh, I’m going to bring her in to close. I figured she could do it in 20 pitches or less,” Bullard said. “She’s just a different animal this year, and when you have her on the mound, she without a doubt makes us better.”

Cullen only needed 14 pitches to get the Arabians to ground out twice and fly out for a three-up, three-down bottom of the seventh.

Prior to Noblesville’s 8-5 win over Westfield on Wednesday, the Millers had lost five straight games.

“We try to be somewhat strategic in some of the games that we play. Obviously, conference games are the most important to us, so we’re always going to throw our best and everything else,” Bullard said.

The Millers face Decatur Central and Plainfield on Saturday before hosting Mt. Vernon on Monday.