Millers dominate 1st Annual Noblesville Classic

Saturday’s 1^st Annual Noblesville Classic was exactly what the Noblesville Millers needed at this point in their season. Two games that can be confidence builders for the remainder of the regular season, plus a possible state tournament run again.

Noblesville 12, Twin Lakes 3

It took the Millers their first few hitters to get used to Twin Lakes’ Jordan Crabb’s pitching. The one thing Crabb didn’t know was that once Noblesville got to know his pitching, that it would be on like Donkey Kong!

Austin Ramey singled to shallow left to start. DH Brock Hammond reached on an error by second baseman Tyler Barnes. Caleb Shore safely bunted himself aboard to load the bases. Nevin Fansher struck out for the first out. Garrett Christman walked on four straight pitches, driving in Ramey. Pitcher Kent Williams knows how to help his own cause. KW smacked a two-run double, scoring Hammond and Shore to give the Millers a 3-0 lead.

With Christman and Williams on base, Derek Asuras hit a two-run triple to left center. Tanner Watson and Dewey Rodgers walked to load the bases again. Asuras and Watson both scored with ease on passed balls to the backstop net. Ramey walked, giving NHS runners at the corners. Brock Hammond singled to left, scoring Rodgers from third and ending the 2^nd inning run parade by the Millers.

The NHS 2^nd inning: 9 runs, 6 hits, 4 walks, 4 singles, 2 extra base hits.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the Millers.

Noblesville catcher Sam Wides led the 3^rd off with a walk. He was driven home the next at-bat as Derek Asuras drove a two-run home run to deep right center, giving the Millers an 11-1 lead.

Ryan Connell scored the first Twin Lakes run back in the second on an RBI single by pitcher Jordan Crabb. Trevor Cohee scored on a Zach Diener RBI single to bring the Indians back to an 11-2 deficit.

Twin Lakes’ 6^th inning was their last real effort to put a dent in the Noblesville lead. Designated Hitter Kole Young scored on a fielder’s choice by catcher Tyler Widner to cut the Miller lead to 11-3.

Austin Ramey led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple to the center field wall. Hammond knocked Ramey in from third with a sacrifice fly to right to make the final score of 12-3 in favor of the host Millers.

Hamilton Heights 13, Mississinewa 0 (5 innings)

The Hamilton Heights Huskies came to the Noblesville Classic wanting to win, like they’ve been doing as of late. It was quite obvious that they wouldn’t accept a loss against Mississinewa, blanking the Indians 13-0 in five innings.

Heights scored four in the 1^st inning, 8 in the 2^nd and tacked on one more run in the 4^th to make it a “baker’s dozen,” which pitted them in the Noblesville Classic championship game against the host Noblesville Millers.

Logan Cunningham led the Huskie hitters going 3-for-3 with three runs scored, including a two-run single, a triple and two RBI’s. Not to mention, he was hit by a pitch during his second at-bat, the elder Cunningham reached base in all four plate appearances.

Kevin Beery, Spencer Dull, Andrew Knapp and Seth Small all four scored two runs a piece for Hamilton Heights.

Noblesville Classic – Consolation Game

Mississinewa vs. Twin Lakes (canceled due to rainout, wet field conditions)

Noblesville Classic – Championship Game

Noblesville 8, Hamilton Heights 1

Noblesville starting pitcher Ryan Byrne has endured quite the senior baseball season, quite the opposite of what he anticipated, that is. Coming into the Noblesville Classic championship game, Byrne’s record for the second was 0-6, not the typical Ryan Byrne that we’ve been used to for the past three seasons. Even though it’s late in the season, Saturday night’s game vs. Hamilton Heights was almost like a coming out party for Byrne.

His pitches were hitting the zone where Wides wanted them to (94 pitches, 62 strikes) and he was finally in control of his game on the mound. Byrne wasted no time at all, striking out the side in the first inning on his way to striking out 10 for the game. He also struck out two in the 2^nd and 6^th innings to keep the Hamilton Heights hitters in check.

Noblesville got to it right away at the plate in the bottom of the first. Asuras and Watson both walked to put runners at first and second. Dewey Rodgers drilled a double to the right center wall, scoring Asuras for a 1-0 lead. With Watson now at third and Rodgers at second, Austin Ramey grounded out to the shortstop, scoring Tanner Watson from third. Brock Hammond grounded out to third for the second out, but that allowed Rodgers to scoot home from third as well for a 3-0 Miller edge after one.

Hamilton Heights got on the board in the 4^th. Tyler Sauerteig reached base on an error by Rodgers at third. He was doubled home by Tyler Anderson’s RBI double to center, cutting Noblesville’s lead to 3-1.

With a 2-0 count to lead off the 5^th, Rodgers set a ball sailing over the trees in the right field corner for a solo home run. Ramey reached on a swinging strikeout. Caleb Shore walked to give the Millers runners at first and second. Patrick Rader scorched a first-pitch, two-run double to right center, plating both Ramey and Shore for a 7-1 NHS lead.

Asuras scored the game’s final run on an RBI groundout by Garrett Christman for the final count of 8-1 for the host Millers.

Noblesville Classic All-tournament team

P   Ryan Byrne, Noblesville: 6 innings, 10 strikeouts, 1^st win of 2011

P   Tyler Anderson, HH: 5 strikeouts (pitching); 2-for-4, 2B, 2 BB

C   Sam Wides, Noblesville: 3 put-outs, 0-4, run, BB

1B Austin Ramey, Noblesville: 2-6, 4 runs, 4 RBIs, 3B

2B Tanner Watson, Noblesville: 1-4, 2 runs, 2 BB, 2 FC

SS Kevin Beery, Ham. Heights: 2-6, 2 runs, RBI, 2B

3B Dewey Rodgers, Noblesville: 2-6, 3 runs, 2 RBIs, 2 BB, 2B, solo HR

OF Derek Asuras, Noblesville: 3-5, 4 runs, 2-R 3B, 2-R HR, 2 1Bs, 2 BB

OF Caleb Shore, Noblesville: 4-6, 2 runs, 3 SB, 4 1Bs

OF Logan Cunningham, HH: 3-6, 3 runs, 2 RBI, 3B

OF Zach Diener, Twin Lakes: 3-4, RBI, 2B, 2 1Bs

DH Brock Hammond, Noblesville: 2-7, 3 RBI, 2 runs, 2B, 2 RBI groundouts