By Pete Cava
PBR Indiana Correspondent  

ZIONSVILLE – Rain washed out Monday's 4A Sectional 8 championship game between North Central and Hamilton Southeastern. 

In semifinal action earlier in the day, NC defeated Noblesville while HSE topped Carmel. 

The title contest is now set for 6:00 p.m. Tuesday. 

SEMIFINAL #1 – NORTH CENTRAL 2, NOBLESVILLE 1:  Mac Lozer's 11-strikeout performance and a leaky Millers defense propelled the Panthers to the title game. 

The contest, scheduled for 11:00 a.m., didn't get underway until 12 noon due to wet grounds.  It took place under overcast skies with a steady wind blowing in. 

Lozer, North Central's senior right-hander, started on four days' rest after beating Fishers in Wednesday's first-round opener.  Noblesville countered with junior Trevor Salmon, a southpaw with a herky-jerky, three-quarter delivery. 

North Central (21-7) got on the board the bottom of the second.  With two out and the bases loaded, Salmon got Keaton Conner to bounce to third.  But Noblesville third sacker Connor Christman’s throw pulled first baseman Luke Porter off the bag, and Justin Short flew home for a 1-0 NC lead. 

The Millers evened the score in the top of the fourth on a walk to Porter and TJ Lindstrand's double to right. 

North Central went ahead in the bottom of the inning, aided by a pair of infield errors.  Short led off with a single and Anthony Williams pinch-ran for him.  After Jensen Kirch’s sacrifice bunt, Noblesville second baseman Dax McLochlin booted Demetrius Webb's grounder.  With runners at the corners for NC, Webb stole second. 

Salmon fanned pinch-hitter Josh Matthews for the second out, and it looked like the Millers would escape unscathed when Keaton Conner lined to second.  But McLochlin couldn't hold on to the ball and Williams scampered home for NC's second run. 

In the top of the seventh, Noblesville had the tying run 90 feet from the plate.  With one out, Connor Christian blooped a single. After Nick Miller walked, an infield out put runners at second and third.  Lozer retired Andrew Wilson on a grounder to short to end the game. 

Salmon went all the way for Noblesville, doling out three hits and a pair of walks. Both runs were unearned. 

Lozer, who struck out the side in the first and fourth, allowed four hits and two free passes. 

“It was my first time back on four days' rest since the injury (elbow tendinitis),” said the University of Michigan recruit.  “I felt good. I had all four of my pitches working today.  My slider was my out pitch.  My fastball and my curveball were pretty effective, as well as my changeup and slider.  I went to my slider when I needed to get an out.” 

SEMIFINAL #2 – HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN 5, CARMEL 0:  Cody Christiansen sent the Royals to the title game with a one-hit shutout. “I just worked low, got ahead, and worked low,” said the senior left-hander. “That was the key all day.” 

Christiansen relied on his slider throughout the contest.  “Slider 0-2, 1-2, 2-2,” he said, “and I got them out front on ground balls.” 

Christiansen notched three strikeouts while retiring 15 Greyhounds on grounders.  Asked if he'd ever won a bigger game, the red-headed senior grinned and said, “Probably not.  No, sir!” 

The sun was out when the contest began, but the breeze was still blowing in. 

Carmel threatened in the bottom of the second, with runners on second and third and one away.  Riley Smith grounded to Royals shortstop Hunter Hardee, who gunned down Riley Miller at the plate.  Christiansen got out of the inning when Kyle Fiala grounded to Hardee for a force at second. 

HSE tagged Carmel right-hander Nick Horvath for four runs in the third.  The big blows were Tre Gantt's booming two-run triple to center, followed by a double to right by Mitch Roman. 

The Royals added one more in their half of the sixth.  Steven Curry opened with a base hit up the middle, and Jack Casey ran for him.  Hardee bunted safely, and Brendan Burns followed with a slow roller that Carmel catcher Tony Giannini fielded but threw over the head of first baseman Jack Martin.  Casey came home on the error for HSE's final run.