Fishers High School

Fishers JV2 Silver Tigers (8-9) used a balanced offensive attack and aggressive baserunning to pull away from Franklin Central Flashes for an 11-5 win on Wednesday. After Franklin Central battled back to tie the game midway through the 4th, the Tigers responded with clutch hitting and a strong finish to secure the victory. Fishers wasted little time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Landon Sanders drew a walk to start the rally, and Isaac Repp followed with a single to right. Nate Birsa then reached on a Franklin Central error that loaded the bases and kept pressure on the defense. Alex Stiefel grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring home the first run, and Dawson Gustin added another RBI on a groundout to give the Tigers an early 2-0 lead. Franklin Central answered with a run in the top of the second after a pair of walks and an RBI single trimmed the deficit to one. Eli Engebretson worked through traffic on the mound, striking out two in the inning and limiting the damage. The Tigers’ offense immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning with one of their biggest frames of the night. Zach Dowd started things with a walk before Sanders lined an RBI single to center. Repp followed with a run-scoring double to center field, and Birsa added another RBI single to right to extend the lead to 5-1. Fishers continued to pressure the defense with aggressive baserunning throughout the inning, stealing bags and taking extra bases on passed balls. Franklin Central chipped away again in the third inning. An error helped the visitors plate a run before adding an RBI groundout to cut the lead to 5-3. Engebretson battled through several baserunners and finished his outing with four strikeouts over three innings of work. Fishers threatened again in the bottom of the third after Gustin walked and Max Bishton reached on an error, but Franklin Central escaped the inning with a double play at the plate to keep the game close. The momentum swung in the top of the fourth when Franklin Central tied the game at 5-5. A Tiger error allowed one run to score before Franklin Central delivered an RBI single to left field. With the game suddenly even, Fishers needed an immediate response. The Tigers answered in a big way in the bottom of the fourth. Sanders continued his outstanding day at the plate with another single, and Birsa followed with a base hit of his own. Stiefel then ripped a clutch RBI double to right field to break the tie and put Fishers back in front. Moments later, Gustin worked a walk that forced home another run, stretching the advantage to 7-5. Fishers created separation in the fifth inning with another aggressive offensive surge. Brayden McNall walked to begin the inning before Sanders delivered his third hit of the day. Repp drew a walk, and Birsa lined an RBI single to score another run. Stiefel added an RBI groundout, and the Tigers continued to capitalize on passed balls and defensive miscues to push the lead to 11-5. From there, the pitching and defense closed the door. Fishers retired Franklin Central in order during the fifth inning, highlighted by a pair of groundouts handled cleanly by Dowd at third base. Birsa took over on the mound late and dominated in relief, striking out two while not allowing a run to earn the save. He finished the game with a strikeout looking to seal the Tigers’ sixth inning victory. Sanders led the offensive attack with three hits and multiple runs scored, consistently putting pressure on Franklin Central throughout the game. Birsa also collected three hits and added an RBI and the save on the mound. Repp finished with two hits, including a key RBI double, while Stiefel drove in three runs and came through with the go-ahead double in the fourth inning. The Tigers were relentless on the bases all night, swiping five stolen bases and constantly forcing Franklin Central into rushed plays. Mason Walker stole two bags, while the lineup combined patience and aggression to keep innings alive. Fishers also drew eight walks and finished with 10 hits in a complete offensive performance. Engebretson earned the win after striking out four over three innings, and Birsa slammed the door in relief as Fishers JV2 Silver Tigers secured an impressive conference win.