Fishers High School

The #3 Fishers Tigers Varsity Baseball Team (7-1/2-0) came up short in extra innings losing to #8 Homestead Spartans 5-3. The game was played at Taylor University. The Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning thanks to 3 doubles, a single, and an error. The Tigers immediately responded like they have done all year with 3 runs in the bottom half of the 2nd to tie the game 3-3. Trevor Hall started the rally with a triple to centerfield. Carter Strole plated Hall for an RBI on an infield single. Jase Ruggles hit the first pitch he saw over the right centerfield fence for a 2-run homerun to tie the game. The Tiger bats would go quiet the rest of the night, managing just 1 more hit and a total of 4 base runners over the final 6 innings. Starting pitcher Austin Conley kept the Tigers in the game. After allowing 3 runs (2 earned) in the 2nd, Conley settled in to retire 11 of the final 12 batters he saw. Overall, Conley threw 5 innings, allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits, while striking out 5 and walking 1. In addition to the heroics at the plate, Ruggles was also outstanding on the mound. Ruggles relieved Conley and struck out the side on 10 pitches in the 6th. Just one pitch away from an immaculate inning. After an error, a hit batter, and a swinging bunt single loaded the bases with 1 out in the 7th, Ruggles worked out the jam with another strikeout and groundout. Ruggles pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief with 4 strikeouts. Zander Carnahan (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound. Carnahan retired the first 2 batters of the 8th inning before a walk, single, and another walk loaded the bases with 2 outs. On the 8th pitch of the at bat with bases loaded, full count, and the runners running on the pitch, the Spartan hitter fisted a ball off the handle of the bat over the pitcher’s mound and just out of reach of SS Huston Dunn and 2B Mayo Fernandez. Two runners scored on the play. The Tigers went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 8th, suffereing their first loss of the season. The Tigers return to HCC play with a 2-game series against #10 Noblesville Millers on Thursday and Friday. The Tigers host the Millers on Thursday at 6:30pm and will travel to Noblesville on Friday at 7pm.