4A #16 Noblesville 4, Avon 1 (at Avon)
Dropping four of their last five games, the Noblesville Millers found themselves in a spot they might not have otherwise been in. Coming back from their spring break trip to Tennessee a month ago, NHS continued their winning by sweeping Fishers in an HCC doubleheader to open up conference play.
Things got a little shaky the next night. The White River Rivalry game at Carmel found the Millers on the bad end of a 10-6 loss, which the Greyhounds were able to score 4 runs each in the 3rd and 6th innings to keep the Oar. Splitting both the Brownsburg and Zionsville series put Noblesville in a spot of winning just 3 of 5 and averaging just five runs per game in those five.
Zach St. Pierre has had some struggles lately and was looking to get his focus back on the mound. A trip to Avon might have been exactly what the junior southpaw was looking for. The Millers had only managed one win in five against the likes of Brownsburg, Lafayette Jeff and Delphi before this series with the Orioles.
St. Pierre found his pitching groove again and it couldn't have happened at a better time of the season. In a complete game effort, Zach had 9 strikeouts in his 7 innings, allowing just five hits and one run. The win got ZSP over the hump and improved his record to 4-3.
Brian McLean, TJ Lindstrand and Nick Miller each tallied two hits at the plate. Vinny Essig had the only extra-base hit with a double, while Lindstrand (2), Luke Porter and St. Pierre drove in all four runs for the Millers.
4A #16 Noblesville 3, Avon 2 (at The Dunk, Noblesville)
Noblesville started this noon game on Saturday right where they left off the night before on Friday. It was time to make a statement and where better to do that than home at The Dunk.
Brian McLean walked on five pitches and wasted no time in making his way down to second base. Garrett Christman drove McLean in with an RBI-single for an early 1-0 Miller lead.
Vinny Essig legged out a one-out infield single and was able to get himself clear over to third with Avon pitcher Matt Moore overthrowing 1B Tasker Strobel. With a good jump, Essig trotted home on an RBI-groundout to first by Andrew Wilson to put NHS up 2-0.
The Millers were ready to tack on more in the 4th. Christman was hit by a Moore pitch and advanced to second just moments later on a balk by Moore. Lindstrand singled to shallow right center to give Noblesville runners at first and third. Essig produced again, dropping his own single to left, driving in Lindstrand for a 3-0 cushion.
Christman couldn't have been more dialed in and focused on the mound to get his team a win. GC allowed just three hits over the first six frames, striking out 4. His toughest task would be to seal the deal in the 7th. Dylan Jones knocked a leadoff double to get things started. Khristian Reynolds got on-base with an infield single for Orioles on first and third. DH Chandler Sanburn was hit in the back by a pitch to load the bases. Tasker Strobel hit a slow roller for an RBI-infield single to plate Reynolds. Pinch-hitter Brad McCaslin grounded out to first (St. Pierre to Christman) for out #2, but that got Sanburn home to cut the deficit to 3-2 Millers still in front. Avon's last resort was down to pinch-hitter Josh Ross, who lasted just four pitches, as Christman struck him out to end the game.
Noblesville (13-8, 7-5 HCC) completed the HCC series sweep over the Orioles (11-9, 4-8 HCC) with the 4-1 W on Friday night and Saturday's 3-2 nail-biter in Noblesville.
The Millers continue HCC play as they'll host the Hamilton Southeastern Royals (9-8, 5-7 HCC) on Tuesday in Noblesville at 6 p.m. and will complete the series of the rivalry at HSE on Thursday with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch.
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