2012 Noblesville Classic
Game 1: Homestead 3, Noblesville 0
Just one bad inning can doom a team to where it mentally may not let itself get back into the game in either facet. If the Noblesville Millers could erase what happened defensively against the Homestead Spartans in the 1st inning, they would do it in a heartbeat. This is exactly what happened in the opening game of the 2012 Noblesville Classic meeting between Homestead and host Noblesville.
Austin Plasterer led things off reaching on a throwing error by 2B Nick Miller. Andre Jernigan got on board with an infield single. Pitcher Jake Weber was then walked by Miller hurler Ben Yoder, giving Homestead bases loaded with one out. Yoder walked Michael Redden on four straight pitches, putting the Spartans up 1-0. Their first inning scoring parade continued when Nathan Miller reached base on a ground ball to Nick Miller at second. Miller committed his second throwing error of the inning. This error allowed Jernigan and Weber to score, giving Homestead a 3-0 lead after just the first half inning.
Jake Weber kept Noblesville’s bats quiet for the first few innings. Sam Wides reached on an error in the third, but was caught stealing second base. Freshman Brian McLean got the first of his two singles in the fourth, but was left stranded. The Millers gave it one final attempt in the bottom of the seventh. Garrett Welch struck out swinging, but reached first base on a passed ball on his third strike. DH Mike Nichols flied out to right field. Welch didn’t tag up. Instead, he ran toward second like he didn’t know that there weren’t any outs. Welch was doubled up at first by Brandon Soat’s throw from foul territory in right. Garrett Christman singled, but was left on base as John Cola struck out looking to end the ball game.
Jake Weber struck out 9 Miller hitters. Ben Yoder had 12 K’s for the host Millers. RF Brandon Soat led Homestead, going 2-for-4 with 3 singles, reaching base three times. Brian McLean and Garrett Christman combined for the Millers’ three hits.
Game 2: Cincinnati Moeller 10, Chicago De La Salle 2
The Cincinnati Moeller Crusaders had no trouble at all with the Chicago De La Salle, dominating the Meteors by the count of 10-2. All but two Moeller hitters tallied a hit and also, all but two hitters scored for the Crusaders. SS Jordan Simpson, 1B Zack Shannon and RF Nick Edwards combined to hit 7-for-13 and score six of the 10 runs, including 3 singles by Edwards and a two-run homer over the left center wall from the bat of Shannon. Moeller’s win moved them to 4-1 and De La Salle dropped its record to 6-3.
Game 3: Noblesville 2, Chicago De La Salle 0
Noblesville’s Taran Murphy took the mound where he left off Tuesday night when he struck out 7 Northfield hitters. Murphy mowed down 6 Meteors on Saturday afternoon in a three-hit shutout of De La Salle, 2-0 in the Consolation game of the Noblesville Classic.
Murph allowed three total base runners in his first 5 innings of work and just two hits in that span. Taran was in total control of the De La Salle hitters.
The Miller scoring wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to defeat the Meteors and hopefully instill a great deal of confidence for the upcoming week’s Spring Break trip to Tennessee.
3B Luke Porter got things going in the third with a one out infield single. Sam Wides advanced Porter to second with a bloop single into shallow left. Two batters later, John Cola knocked Porter home with an RBI single for a 1-0 Miller lead. Garrett Christman got his own infield single in the 4th. He scored on Luke Porter’s single, giving the Millers a 2-0 lead, which turned out to be the final score.
Cola, Christman, Wides, Mike Nichols and Porter combined for Noblesville’s hitting attack. It wasn’t the greatest output, but it was enough to keep Chicago’s De La Salle in check and scoreless.
The win improves Noblesville’s record to 2-2. De La Salle drops to 6-4 on their season.
The Millers take the road on their Spring Break trip and have quite a challenge ahead this week. Thursday, they’ll play at Lindsey Neslon Stadium at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville vs. Science Hill in the first game of the Kessler’s Classic. After that, they play Jefferson County, Ooltewah and another opponent that is yet to be determined.
Game 4: Championship game…Homestead 11, Cincinnati Moeller 4
Homestead was looking to defending their title of the first Noblesville Classic they won in 2011, but it wasn’t going to be an easy task against a 4-1 Moeller squad.
The Crusaders got started right away. A two-out double by Riley Mahan to the right field corner got a rise out of the Moeller bench. Cameron Whitehead drove Mahan home with a gapper to left center for a 1-0 lead.
After going 1-2-3 in the second, Moeller starter Ryan LeFevers got more than just rattled on the mound. Jake Weber led off with a walk that took nine pitches. A Michael Redden single moved Weber to second. Tyler Zimske struck out swinging, but advanced to first on a passed ball, loading the bases. Catcher Nathan Miller hit a sacrifice fly to left center that scored Weber from third. With Redden and Zimske and second and first, respectively, Josh Caccamo dropped down a sacrifice bunt advancing the two one base each. Matt Volz singled on a hit to shallow center, but the runners stayed aboard, for some odd reason. Austin Plasterer drove in Redden with a single. Brandon Soat hit a single to right, sending Zimske home to score, giving Homestead a commanding 5-1 lead after two innings.
Moeller looked like they were trying to put a dent in that four run deficit. Brian Butz led off with a walk. That was haulted by the great defensive play of Homestead SS Andre Jernigan. With one out, Justin Wampler hit a sharp grounder to Jernigan at short. The ball was hard-hit enough that Jernigan was knocked on his butt, but he tossed the ball to second and Plasterer then to first to complete a dramatic double play to ignite the Spartans.
Redden hit a single just over the infield into shallow left field to lead off. Nathan Miller and Josh Caccamo also singled to load the bases. Volz hit a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Redden. Plasterer singled to once again load the bases. Brandon Soat cleared the bases with a three-run double on a one-hop hit to deep right center. That big inning widened the gap to 9-1 in favor of Homestead.
Cincinnati Moeller was set to rally in the fifth. Jimmy Rodenberg walked and advanced to second on a grounder to the mound. Ty Amann singled and eventually scored on a passed ball that brought the score to 9-3. Moeller got one more crack at the plate. After three walks to get the Crusaders’ confidence up, Brad Macciocchi hit a sac fly to center, scoring Spencer Iavocone.
Homestead decided it was time to “put the nail in the coffin” on this Noblesville Classic title. Zimske walked, followed by Joe Ault getting plunked on the head, right on his earhole, giving the Spartans two base runners aboard. Austin Plasterer finished off the Homestead scoring with a two-run triple that turned out to be the dagger. Andy Harkness pitched the sixth and seventh, sealing up the 11-4 victory for Homestead, giving them their second straight Noblesville Classic championship.
Austin Plasterer was the star at the plate in the championship, going 5-for-5 with four singles, a two-run triple and 3 RBI’s. Not far behind him in the stat categories was Brandon Soat, who was 2-5 with 4 RBI’s.
Homestead stayed its course and is now 4-0 after the Noblesville Classic championship. Cincinnati Moeller is 4-2.
2012 NOBLESVILLE CLASSIC: ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
P Jake Weber (Homestead) – 9 strikeouts, 2 hits, walk, shutout
P Ben Yoder (Noblesville) – 12 strikeouts, 3 hits, two walks
P Zach Williams (Moeller) – 9 strikeouts, 6 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks
P Taran Murphy (Noblesville) – 6 strikeouts, 3 hits, walk, shutout
C Brad Macciocchi (Moeller) – 1-for-6, single, RBI,
1B Zack Shannon (Moeller) – 2-for-6, 2-run HR, single, two runs/RBIs
2B Austin Plasterer (Homestead) – 6-for-9, triple, 5 singles, 3 RBIs
SS Andre Jernigan (Homestead) – 2-for-7, run, RBI, 2 assists, putout
3B Luke Porter (Noblesville) – 2-for-2, run, RBI, 4 assists, putout
OF Brian McLean (Noblesville) – 2-for-5, two singles
OF Brandon Soat (Homestead) – 4-for-9, 4 RBIs, double, 3 singles
OF Nick Edwards (Moeller) – 3-for-4, 3 runs, 3 singles, putout
Util Garrett Christman (Noblesville) – 2-for-5, run, 4 assists
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