In one evening, the Fishers baseball team got itself a head start in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference chase.
The Class 4A No. 2 Tigers swept both games of a doubleheader Thursday against 4A No. 5 Noblesville at the Millers’ Don Dunker Field. As a result, Fishers clinched the series, and also has an early 2-0 HCC record.
Tigers coach Matt Cherry was happy that his team has officially won the series, but is aware that there’s a long way to go to clinch the title in arguably the toughest baseball conference in Indiana.
“You got to win every series to have a chance to win the conference,” said Cherry. “We also need to sweep some, too, so we got to be ready to play. I know they’ll answer back. (Noblesville) Coach (Justin) Keever’s an awesome coach and he’ll challenge them and get them ready to play tomorrow.”
The Tigers rode a complete-game effort from Luke Albright on the mound. Albright pitched outstanding, throwing 10 strikeouts and giving up just one hit and two walks.
Fishers got its first run in the top of the second inning. Ben Burton hit a single to get on base, then scored off a double by JJ Woolwine.
The Tigers would have to wait until the seventh inning to get the next two runs. The first one was scored on another RBI double, with Matt Wolff’s center field hit scoring Grant Richardson. Kiel Brenczewski got the third run when he was walked with the bases loaded.
Wolff finished the day 2-for-2, while Craig Yoho hit a double.
“I felt like we left a ton of runners on in the first game,” said Cherry. “We were able to score three runs, which was huge. Matthew Wolff had the big double in the seventh to extend the lead. I thought we let them hang around too much in the first inning. They did a great job of pitching to bad contact and getting us out of our hitting approach in the first game.”
Jacob Thieman got Noblesville’s lone hit, a second-inning single from Jacob Thieman. Clay Holzworth threw six and two thirds innings and pitched solidly, with nine strikeouts against four hits.
In the second game, Fishers got going right away. Woolwine singled on to base to begin the first inning, then Craig Yoho walked. Richardson stepped up next, and hit a home run to put the Tigers up 3-0.
The Millers got one back in the bottom of the first. Tyler Owens drove a double into left field, then scored a few plays later when Thieman sent a single into right field.
But Fishers added two runs in the top of the second to take control of the game. Burton hit a double to send Jack Roudebush and Daniel Owens home. The Tigers scored another two runs in the fifth inning, when Brenczewski hit a two-run homer. Richardson scored after getting on base by a fielder’s choice.
“In the second game, I thought we answered really well,” said Cherry. “We challenged them a little bit to attack and I thought they answered really well, especially with the home run in the first and then Kiel’s home run later.”
Noblesville scored again in the sixth inning. Zac Tuinei’s left field single scored Thieman, who began the inning by hitting a double.
Woolwine led the Tigers’ hitting by going 3-for-3, including a double. Brenczewski went 2-for-3. The Millers were led by Thieman, who had a 2-for-3 day at the plate.
Richardson got the win, throwing five innings and striking out 12.
“You got to give them credit, they’re a good ball club,” said Keever. “We weren’t very good in Game 2. We gave up seven runs.”
The series will finish up today at Fishers, with the first pitch at 4 p.m. Keever said his team doesn’t have much time to feel sorry for itself, since every HCC game will be tough – “This league’s not for the faint of heart,” he said.
“We just got to go back to work,” said Keever. “Start at 0-0 and go get them.”
FIRST GAME
Fishers 3, Noblesville 0
Fishers AB R H RBI
JJ Woolwine 4 0 0 0
Craig Yoho 3 0 1 0
Grant Richardson 3 1 0 0
Kiel Brenczewski 3 0 1 0
Tristan Baker 0 1 0 0
Matt Wolff 2 0 2 1
Alex Jamieson 3 0 1 0
Jack Roudebush 3 0 0 1
Nick Lukac 3 0 0 0
Daniel Owens 1 0 0 0
Ben Burton 3 1 1 0
Totals 28 3 6 2
2B: Wolff, Yoho. HBP: Wolff 2, Brenczewski, Jamieson, Yoho.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Luke Albright (W) 7 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Albright 10. Walks: Albright 2.
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Mark Goudy 3 0 0 0
DJ Owens 3 0 0 0
Cooper Miles 2 0 0 0
Jacob Thieman 3 0 1 0
Reese Sharp 3 0 0 0
Zac Tuinei 3 0 0 0
Jackson Ramey 2 0 0 0
Ethan Imel 2 0 0 0
Tyler Owens 1 0 0 0
Totals 22 0 1 0
SB: T. Owens.
Noblesville pitching IP R ER H
Clay Holzworth 6.2 2 1 4
Zach Gruver 0.1 1 1 2
Strikeouts: Holzworth 9, Gruver 1. Walks: Holzworth 1, Gruver 1.
Score by innings
Fishers 010 000 2 – 3 6 1
Noblesville 000 000 0 – 0 1 0
SECOND GAME
Fishers 7, Noblesville 2
Fishers AB R H RBI
JJ Woolwine 3 1 3 0
Craig Yoho 3 1 1 0
Grant Richardson 3 1 1 2
Tristan Baker 0 1 0 0
Kiel Brenczewski 3 1 2 2
Matt Wolff 4 0 1 0
Alex Jamieson 4 0 0 0
Jack Roudebush 2 1 0 0
Daniel Owens 3 1 1 0
Ben Burton 3 0 1 2
Totals 28 7 10 6
HR: Brenczewski, Richardson. 2B: Owens, Woolwine. SB: Woolwine 2. HBP: Brenczewski, Richardson, Woolwine.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Richardson (W) 5 1 1 4
Alex Klotz 1 1 0 1
Griffin Rhoads 1 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Richardson 12, Klotz 3, Rhoads 3. Walks: Richardson 3, Rhoads 1.
Noblesville AB R H RBI
Tyler Owens 2 1 1 0
Mark Goudy 4 0 0 0
DJ Owens 4 0 1 0
Jacob Thieman 3 1 2 1
Cooper Miles 2 0 0 0
Reese Sharp 3 0 1 0
Zac Tuinei 2 0 0 0
Cade Nelis 1 0 0 0
Jackson Ramey 2 0 0 0
Brady Walden 0 0 0 0
Bryce Randolph 3 0 0 0
Totals 26 2 5 1
2B: T. Owens, Thieman.
Noblesville pitching IP R ER H
T. Owens 3.2 7 7 7
Ryan Plummer 1.1 0 0 1
Ramey 2.0 0 0 2
Strikeouts: T. Owens 4, Ramey 4, Plummer 1. Walks: T. Owens 3.
Score by innings
Fishers 320 200 0 – 7 10 0
Noblesville 100 001 0 – 2 5 0
Fishers’ Luke Albright pitched a complete-game one-hitter Thursday in the first game of the Tigers’ doubleheader with Noblesville at Don Dunker Field. Fishers won both games to clinch the Hoosier Crossroads Conference series. (Kent Graham)
Noblesville’s Jackson Ramey (center) makes a catch for the Millers. Also pictured are Clay Holzworth (16) and Cooper Miles (22). (Kent Graham)