By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
NOBLESVILLE – It might have been opening day March 30, but Noblesville junior Ryan Byrne was in mid-season form. The lanky right-hander threw six shutout innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six along the way, as unranked Class 4A host Noblesville pounded 3A No. 2 Crawfordsville, 10-0.
The final score at Don Dunker Field belies the tight nature of the game. The Millers erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning against the Athenian bullpen.
Noblesville plated a run in the season’s very first inning, scoring on a ground ball by Derek Asuras. The Millers added two more in the second in handing Crawfordsville senior left-hander Steven Rice his first-ever loss, with the big blow a two-run single by junior infielder Caleb Shore.
Rice, a veteran of Crawfordsville’s state championship team of two years ago who finished 14-0 last season and had a career record of 24-0 coming in, settled down as the game progressed and held the Millers scoreless through the fifth frame. The Athenians threatened in the top of the fifth, putting two runners on base with only one out, but Byrne quickly defused the situation.
The Athenians thought Rice, who pitched five innings and allowed four hits and three runs while striking out eight, had thrown enough and turned to the bullpen in the fateful sixth. It proved to be unsuccessful as Noblesville dented the plate seven times.
“It could have been scoreless through five,” Crawfordsville coach John Froedge told thepaper24-7.com. “We definitely contributed to their first three runs. We will use every experience to get better – we definitely know where we need to get better.
“Noblesville was definitely more polished tonight than we were.”
First baseman Jameison Brock started the sixth-inning outburst with a two-RBI single and was immediately followed by catcher Sam Wides, who lofted a drive over the left-field fence for a two-run homer.
Andrew Rodgers also had a stellar outing for Noblesville, going 3 for 4 with a double, two RBIs, and three stolen bases.
“It’s a great way to get started,” Noblesville coach Justin Keever told the Noblesville Times. “I just thought our guys played with a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of passion and weren’t afraid to make mistakes.”
Hoosier Authority spoke with Byrne, the winning pitcher, after the stellar effort (see video player).
Crawfordsville’s hits came from Austin Evans, Chris Minks, A.J. Ehrlich, and Rice.
Next up for Noblesville is its first out-of-state trip April 3 against Cincinnati Moeller (OH) and Strongsville (OH).
The box score (thank you, Fishers coach Matthew Cherry!):
Crawfordsville 000 000 – 0 4 2
Noblesville 120 007 – 10 11 1
Noblesville 10
Caleb Shore, ss 2 2 1 2
Tanner Watson, 2b 4 1 1 0
Derek Asuras, cf 3 1 1 2
Jake Yeary, lf 4 0 1 0
Dewey Rodgers, 3b 4 2 3 2
Kyle Guarriello, rf 2 1 0 0
Austin Ramey, dh 2 1 1 0
Ryan Byrne, p 0 0 0 0
Jameson Brock, 1b 3 1 2 2
Sam Wides, c 3 1 1 2
Totals 27 10 11 10
HBP: Pena, Taylor, Jackman
LOB: Crawfordsville 4, Noblesville 5
2B: Rodgers
SB: Rodgers 3, Shore, Ramey
4A #3 Westfield blanks Carmel, 5-0
Also on March 30, perennial 4A power Carmel (1-1) lost to 4A third-ranked ranked Westfield (2-0), 5-0.
Matt Hammel got the win in giving up just four hits while striking out 11 and walking one for Westfield (2-0), the defending 4A state runner-up which opened its season the day before with a 19-6 five-inning beatdown of 2A No. 7 Heritage Christian. Carmel senior Beau Bowen pitched 5 1/3 innings and surrendered seven hits and five runs in taking the loss for the Greyhounds (1-1), who opened with a 4-2 win over Hamilton Heights.
Carmel was led at the plate by senior outfielder Conrad Gregor, a Vanderbilt recruit, with a 2-for-3 performance.
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