Northfield 4 Noblesville 3

Noblesville, IN – A late game rally couldn’t help Noblesville come back to beat Northfield on Tuesday. Noblesville had the bases loaded with one out and trailing by two runs, but a 6-4-3-2 double play ended the Millers hopes of tying up the game. A groundball to short got the runner going to second, but was late getting to first. Noblesville tried to score the runner that started on second, but a good throw from the first baseman got him at the plate to end the game.

Junior LHP Ryan Keaffaber got the start on the mound for Northfield getting the win. He threw six innings allowed five hits, two earned runs, and struck out six. Keaffaber sat 79-81 mph all game topping out at 83. “Ryan (Keaffaber) pitched a great game out of the gate.  He mixed his pitches very well and kept them off balance through five innings.  He seemed to tire a little in the 6^th and he had reached 82 pitches so we felt that was plenty for an opener,” Coach Tony Uggen said. He kept Noblesville off balance with two good offspeed pitches, a curve and change. Junior Andy Roser came in for the last inning to pick up the save after some excitement.

Northfield jumped on the board early with an RBI single in the top of the first from Keaffaber that scored leadoff hitter Freshman Adam Roser. Noblesville was able to tie the game up in the third when Freshman Brian McLean drove in Junior Nick Miller with a single.   

In the fifth Northfield was able to break up the tie ball game. With two out Adam Roser singled, then
Senior Tanner Chamberlain singled to put two on with two outs for the three hole hitter Andy Roser. Roser drove an inside pitch over the left field fence for a three run homerun giving Northfield a 4-1 advantage.

Noblesville got one of the runs back in the sixth with a two out RBI double from Senior DH Michael Nichols that scores Senior Garret Welch from first. In The 7^th Noblesville looked poised for a comeback after pinch hitters Luke Porter and Justin Holloway both got on to start the inning. After a strike out McLean singled up the middle to load the bases, but the 6-4-3-2 double play ended the hopes of a Noblesville comeback.

Senior Tanner Murphy was good on the mound for Noblesville. He started the game for Noblesville and sat 80-82 throughout his three innings, striking out six and allowing just one run.