By E. Shawn Aylsworth
Managing Editor
Class 4A host Fishers got run-scoring doubles from senior first baseman Colin Brooke and senior designated hitter Zac Malone back to back in the bottom of the sixth inning May 10 to post a come-from-behind 3-2 upset of 3A top-ranked New Palestine.
Six-foot-four senior lefty Ben Taylor (3-5) pitched a complete game for the victorious Tigers (10-13), allowing just two earned runs on three hits while striking out five and walking four.
“We have talked to our guys over and over this year about the importance of our pitchers getting ahead in the counts and taking care of the baseball defensively,” said Fishers coach Matthew Cherry. “We did both of those tonight, and then picked up a couple of timely hits.
“Ben Taylor probably threw the best game that I’ve seen him throw this year. He kept their hitters off-balance for seven innings.”
Junior catcher Chris Patrick put the Tigers on the board first with a two-out single in the fourth inning. Patrick’s hit to right-centerfield drove home sophomore second baseman Drew Clark, who had opened the inning with a walk before stealing second.
New Palestine (19-2) answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Senior shortstop Brad Rusche walked with one out, advanced to second when junior second baseman Brett Jackson was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a 6-4 fielder’s choice by junior third baseman Brady Thomas, then scored on a single up the middle by sophomore catcher Jacob Barnes.
Thomas then scored on a double down the left-field line by the next batter, senior first baseman Micah Fitzgerald. But Taylor got his pitching counterpart, senior Andrew Tople, to ground back to him for the third out, setting the stage for the Tigers’ decisive rally.
Tople went six innings in taking the loss, giving up three earned runs on six hits while striking out six and walking three. The Dragons’ only other loss of the season came April 30 in the first game of a doubleheader at Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Yorktown (currently ranked sixth in 3A), 2-0.
Next up for Fishers is a May 12 home game against Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe Zionsville. New Pal will return to action that same day for a 1 vs. 2 showdown at 3A second-ranked Brebeuf.
The box score:
New Palestine 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 – 2 3 0
Fishers 0 0 0 1 0 2 X – 3 6 1
New Pal 2
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Rusche ss…………….. 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 2 1
Jackson 2b……………. 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Thomas 3b……………. 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0
Barnes c……………… 3 0 1 1 0 1 8 0 1
Fitzgerald 1b…………. 3 0 1 1 0 0 6 0 0
Tople p………………. 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
Smith dh……………… 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0
Bussell rf……………. 2 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0
Gunst rf…………….. 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Peper cf……………… 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Total ……………… 23 2 3 2 4 5 18 5 5
Fishers 3
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
Pena, J.P. ss…………. 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 2
Clark, Drew 2b………… 2 2 1 0 1 0 2 1 0
Brooke, Colin 1b……….3 1 1 1 0 1 9 0 0
Malone, Zac dh…………3 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0
Patrick, Chris c………. 2 0 1 1 1 0 6 0 0
McCalley, Connor cf.. 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Woolwine, Matt lf……..3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Baumgartner, Blake rf 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
Orris, Koby 2b……….. 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2
Cordell, Jon 3b……….. 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0
Taylor, Ben p…………. 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0
Total ……………… 23 3 6 3 3 6 21 10 5
ET – Taylor, Ben
LOB – New Pal 5, Fishers 5
2B – Fitzgerald; Brooke, Malone, Woolwine
SB – Peper; Clark, Cordell
HBP – Jackson
New Pal IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Tople………….. 6 6 3 3 3 6 23 26
Fishers IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
Taylor, Ben…… 7 3 2 2 4 5 23 28
Win – Taylor. Loss – Tople
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