Softball roundup: Rocks walk off Millers, 7-6

The REPORTER

The Westfield softball team scored a walk-off victory over Noblesville 7-6 Tuesday in a home all-county and Hoosier Crossroads Conference game.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning. The Millers’ Brookelyn Grayson scored on an error, then Delaney Rundle got home on Reese Newsom’s RBI groundout. In the Shamrocks’ turn at bat, Sofia Easterhaus led off with a double and later scored on Chloe Tanner’s base hit. Annika Lawrence got home on Cam Pulice’s RBI groundout.

Rundle batted in a second-inning run, sending Faye Hostetler home with a left field hit. Noblesville led 3-2 until the third inning, when Westfield put up three runs.

Easterhaus tied the game, scoring on Tanner’s RBI groundout. Makayla Watson got home on a wild pitch, then Lawrence scored on a passed ball, putting the ‘Rocks ahead 5-3.

The Millers took the lead back in the fourth inning. Grayson and Neveah Nash both got home when Rundle reached on an error, then Reese Newsom singled in Rundle to put Noblesville on top 6-5.

In the seventh inning, lead-off batter Watson was hit by a pitch. Ava Kainrath batted her in with a center field hit. Tanner then stepped up and sent another single to center field, bringing in Kainrath and clinching the victory for Westfield.

Kainrath was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate, while Easterhaus went 3-for-4. Tanner had two hits, while Reese Mahannah hit a triple and Kainrath hit a double. Mackenzie Delph got the pitching win in relief.

Rundle and Haley Schatko both had two hits for Noblesville. Addison Retzinger pitched a complete game, striking out 12.

Westfield is unbeaten in HCC play at 3-0 and is 7-4 overall. The Shamrocks travel to Yorktown on Thursday. Noblesville is 3-1 in the conference and 9-3 overall; the Millers host Cathedral this afternoon.

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Noblesville, now ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, dropped a 6-3 game to 3A No. 1 New Palestine Monday at the Dragons’ field.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning; Nash scored for the Millers on Grayson’s RBI groundout. New Pal led 3-1 after four innings.

Noblesville got a run back in the top of the fifth; Grayson smacked a center field triple to send Rundle home. The Dragons scored three times in the sixth inning for a 6-2 lead. Rundle hit a triple in the seventh inning, then scored on a Grayson single, but New Palestine held on from there.

Zapp hit a double, with Rundle and Grayson both getting two hits.

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Guerin Catholic got two shutout wins to start the week.

First, the Golden Eagles took care of Warren Central 6-0 in a Monday home game. Guerin Catholic started with two runs in the first inning: Kate Brady went home on Lucy Kemp’s sacrifice fly, then Anna Mauch singled in Madi Cain.

Jillian Davis hit a two-RBI single in the third inning to score Kemp and Mauch. GC put up two more runs in the fifth inning: Kemp got home when Ava Augustinovicz reached on an error, then Augustinovicz scored on Davis’ RBI groundout.

Augustinovicz pitched a complete game, striking out 11 and allowing only two hits.

Guerin Catholic won a 16-0 game at Lafayette Central Catholic on Tuesday. Mauch hit a two-run home run in the second inning, while Brooklyn Fritsche hit a second-inning triple. Augustinovicz was 4-for-4 at the plate, with Kemp going 3-for-3, including two doubles. Mauch also hit a double and totaled four RBIs. Kemp and Augustinovicz scored three runs each.

The Golden Eagles are 6-4 and play this afternoon at Hamilton Heights.

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Hamilton Heights split a pair of games to begin the week.

On Monday, the Huskies lost to Yorktown 10-8 in a nine-inning home game. Heights led 2-1 after the first inning; Lily Cash smacked a home run into center field, also scoring Kamryn Rhoton.

Both teams put up four runs in the fifth inning. McKenzie Jackson cracked a center field double to bring in Rhoton and Ava Snelson. Isabel Morrow singled in Heather Crays with a left field hit, then Melanee Forrester’s single scored Abby Morrow and put Heights ahead 6-5.

The Tigers tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth inning. Yorktown went up 8-6 in the top of the eighth, but Rhoton blasted a center field homer, also scoring Hailey Hall and tying the game at 8-8. But the Tigers scored two more runs in the ninth and got the win.

Jackson and Forrester both had three hits, including two doubles for Jackson. Hall and Cash both had two hits.

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Heights came back on Tuesday to beat Northwestern 12-3 in a Hoosier Conference road game.

The Huskies scored two runs in the first inning. Cash singled in Hall, then Cash was batted in by a Jackson single.

The Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the first, but Heights took over after that. Taya Trosper sent Kenley Scott home with a sacrifice fly in the second inning to tie the game at 3-3. The Huskies took the lead for good in the third inning, with Morrow batting in Jackson and Crays for a 5-3 lead.

Heights added three runs in the third inning. Trosper scored when Rhoton reached on an error, then Crays hit a two-RBI single to score Rhoton and Jackson.

In the sixth inning, Rhoton led off with a double, then was sent home by Jackson’s base hit. Jackson later scored on a passed ball. Crays got home on Scott’s RBI fielder’s choice. Finally, Rhoton hit a solo home run in the seventh inning.

Jackson and Crays both went 3-for-3. Rhoton also hit a double. Crays struck out eight in a complete-game effort.

Heights is 9-5 and hosts Guerin Catholic this afternoon.