By CRAIG ADKINS
For The Reporter
NOBLESVILLE – Last night’s first game in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference series between Hamilton Southeastern and Noblesville brought the best weather that this baseball season has seen yet.
On one hand, Class 4A No. 2 Noblesville put a lot of runs on the board. On the other hand, it took a toll on the Royals’ pitching staff, walking numerous batters. The Millers took full advantage of being patient at the plate, once again, taking down HSE 16-2 in five innings.
It was a shaky start for Miller sophomore Beckett Doane. The tall southpaw walked two, gave up two hits, hit another batter and trailed 2-0.
The bottom of the first would bode that much better for Noblesville. Southeastern fellow left-handed starter Ethan Lund would be chased after just two-thirds of an inning. The Oklahoma State commit walked six, allowed just one hit and struck out two. The glaring stat that forced head coach Kory Seitz to pull Lund was that he gave up seven runs, all earned.
Lund was relieved by Nate McGrath, who walked two, hit one batter and gave up a two-run single by Trevor Corbett. And, after a 52-minute first inning, Noblesville was out to an 8-2 lead.
Doane settled down over his final three and one-third innings of work, striking out five and walking just three more to keep HSE at bay.
Noblesville put another crooked number on the board in the home half of the third. The second reliever, Jacob Payne, walked six in the frame. Payne also gave up a pinch-hit two-run single from Tanner Miller and a Brady Bishop RBI single that helped cap off a seven-run inning. All of that put the Millers up 15-2 through three.
The Millers added one more in the bottom of the fourth when Aiden Ramsey scored on an error by shortstop Colin Goley for the final score of 16-2.
Lund (1-2) takes the loss on the mound for HSE. Kam Seitz, Michael Hoog and Drew LaFleur collected the three Royals hits.
Doane (4-0) got the win for the Millers. It didn’t matter that Noblesville only tallied four hits. They drew 19 walks as a team and three were hit by a pitch, Aiden Reynolds twice.
Corbett led with three runs scored, while Reynolds, Baker, Ramsey, Joe Glander and Bishop all scored twice.
The second game in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference series will be tonight at 7 p.m. at Ken Seitz Field at HSE.
Noblesville improves to 15-3 overall and 7-0 in HCC play and Hamilton Southeastern drops to 8-11 and 3-6 in the HCC.