Softball: Millers stay unbeaten with tense win

The REPORTER

Noblesville stayed unbeaten with a walkoff win over Harrison 9-8 on Monday.

The Millers started with two runs in the first inning. Blythe Walker scored on Reese Newsom’s sacrifice fly, then Lilly Brown drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Haley Schatko home.

Walker doubled in Izzy Zapp in the second inning. Schatko came up next and blasted a home run to score Walker and give Noblesville a 5-0 lead.

A three-run homer by the Raiders cut the Millers’ lead to 5-3 in the third inning, then Harrison added a run in the fourth. Retzinger singled in Schatko for a fifth-inning score; Kate Ringholz came in to run for Retzinger and she scored on Brown’s left field hit.

Both teams traded homers in the fifth inning. Zapp hit a one-out solo home run for the Millers, who now led 8-5.

Harrison tied the game in the top of the seventh inning with three runs. Kinley Westbrook led off for Noblesville with a double, then Ringholz came in to run for her. Zapp’s sacrifice bunt moved Ringholz to third base, and Walker singled her home with a left field hit.

Walker and Schatko both had three hits. Maggie Kern, Retzinger, Schatko and Walker all joined Westbrook in hitting a double.

Starting pitcher Retzinger threw four innings, striking out six and allowing three hits. Roslyn Ervin pitched the next two innings, then Brown came in to pitch the seventh and got the win. Both Ervin and Brown threw two strikeouts.

Noblesville is 5-0 and plays a Hoosier Crossroads Conference game tonight at Franklin Central.