Fishers High School

The Fishers Tigers Varsity Baseball Team (16-14) continued to show fight and competitive grit down the final pitch, losing the Sectional Championship to Zionsville Eagles 4-3 with the tying run on 3rd and the go ahead run at 2nd. The Tigers and Eagles traded early blows, as the Eagles scored 3 in the bottom of the 1st on 4 hits, a walk, and an errant pickoff throw. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers quickly responded with 3 runs of their own in the top of the 2nd to tie the game. David Pina led off the 2nd with a single to left. Isaac Fernandez walked, and Vincent Pecoraro was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Asher Nelson was hit by a pitch on the next at bat to pick up an RBI and cut the lead to 3-1. Henry Cherry ambushed the very next pitch into left centerfield for a 2-run single to tie the game with Pecoraro sliding safely into home. The Tigers continued their rally loading the bases again with 1 out after Andrew Baldini reached on a fielder’s choice and Ethan Buelt reached on an error. However, the Tigers were unable to push across any more runs. The Eagles regained the lead in the bottom of the 2nd on a 2-out, 2-strike single to make the score 4-3. Neither team truly threatened to score in innings 3 through 6. Down 4-3 and down to their final out, the Tigers continued to show their fight and put together one more rally. Carter Strole walked, and Pina was hit by a pitch. Strole stole 3rd, and courtesy runner Carter Davis stole 2nd on the next pitch to put the tying run at 3rd and the go ahead run at 2nd. However, the Tigers were unable to push across those runs, and the Tigers season came to an end. Austin Conley (6-2) pitched brilliantly in 5 innings of relief but picked up the tough loss. Conley allowed 1 earned run on 4 hits while striking out 8 and walking 1. Owen Lukac started the game and pitched the 1st inning allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits and walking 1. Cherry led the Tigers offense finishing 1-2 with 2 RBI and a hit by pitch. Nelson picked up the Tigers other RBI, and Pina had the Tigers only other hit. Strole’s stolen base in the 7th inning set the school’s single season stolen base record at 21 breaking the previous record held by Joey Brenczewski in the 2021 season. After starting the season 8-12, the Tigers finished the year winning 8 of their last 10 and playing their best baseball of the season. The Tigers 16-14 record put them above .500 for the 6th straight season, the 9th season out of the last 10, and the 12th out of the last 15. The Tigers have lost the last 3 years by 1-run in the Sectional Championship and have played in the Sectional Championship in 7 of the last 9 seasons.