NOBLESVILLE – The theme of the day was advancement and avenging the past. Class 4A No. 17 Carmel and No. 20 Hamilton Southeastern achieved both at Dunker Field during the Sectional 8 semifinals on Friday night.

The HSE Royals (18-8) led by Xavier recruit Michael Dillon’s pitching gem upended Westfield 1-0 in the first semifinal, and the Carmel Greyhounds (21-7) were powered by Butler recruit Jackson Adams’ powerful bat to defeat Noblesville 7-3 and setup a meeting for the championship on Memorial Day.

Dillon, who absorbed a 4-2 loss against Westfield (14-11) on May 9, came back strong in the rematch, striking out 10 Shamrocks in a complete-game shutout after surrendering four earned runs the last time he toed the rubber against the Royals’ Hoosier Crossroads Conference foe.

“I had complete confidence. I pitched against them earlier this year, didn’t have my best stuff, and I feel like they’ve seen me before winning the game, but I feel I was a completely different animal out there tonight,” Dillon said. “It’s easy to get excited and get some adrenaline for these games.”

Dillon’s concentration steered him to retire the first 10 batters he faced, but his defense proved just as key, including his own.

After a leadoff triple drilled into deep left-center field by Westfield’s Kyle Pepiot, a Butler recruit, Dillon flashed the leather with a split-second decision as the Shamrocks attempted a squeeze play on a Tyler Smitherman bunt in the next at-bat.

Dillon charged the ball, and he scooped and flipped it with his glove towards catcher Jack DeWolf, who applied the tag to defuse the threat. In the top of the sixth, a double play line drive turned by shortstop Jake Stout to second baseman Jake Huston ended another potential run-scoring frame for Westfield and kept the Royals in control.

“I was confident because I was throwing a lot of strikes and I knew if they hit it, my teammates would be right there,” Dillon said. “Stout made that huge play. That saved a run, and I probably would have been pulled after that.”

Instead, Dillon sat down three of the next four batters he saw and protected the Royals’ one-run advantage by scattering five hits.

HSE only had three hits against Westfield starter Mason Cox (three strikeouts in 6.0 innings), but the second proved the game winner in the bottom of the fourth. HSE senior Matthew Buckingham lined a two-out single into right field that scored Huston from second base and gave Dillon all he needed to work with the rest of the way.

“I preach to the kids all the time, the power of one run, especially when you get into tournament play. It’s little, itty bitty things. It’s a missed sign or it’s a double up. The line drive (double play) was just a baseball thing,” Royals coach Jeremy Sassanella said. “We work on defending the bunt and as many practice situations as we can, and Michael just came up. He didn’t rush, and he fielded the ball. Just huge. That’s what I was talking about to the kids. Good teams make big plays in big spots. I’m really proud of the kids.”

Carmel had previously lost to Noblesville during the regular season in a slugfest 14-12 on May 6, but in the rematch, the Greyhounds struck first and often behind the potent bat of Adams.

Finishing 1-for-5 against the Millers during the regular season, Adams hit 2-for-4 with two home runs in the rematch, including a solo home run in the top of the second to put Carmel ahead 1-0.

Christian Williams made it 2-0 in the third with another solo home run off Noblesville starter Clay Holtzworth, a Butler recruit, before Adams unloaded again. The right-handed slugger crushed a three-run home run with two outs that easily cleared the wall in left field. A triple by J.D. Rogers chased Holtzworth after 2 2/3 innings, seven hits allowed and three strikeouts.

Up 5-0, the Greyhounds added another run in the fourth off a wild pitch by Millers reliever Camden Nagel, and Alex Brooks hit a two-out RBI single in the sixth to increase Carmel’s margin 7-0 behind nine hits overall.

Noblesville (16-14) rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three runs. Cooper Miles finished with an RBI, while the Millers had three hits in the game.

The Royals beat Carmel 6-5 during their regular-season meeting on April 8 at home. Carmel will vie for its 14^th sectional title all time and second in four years. HSE is seeking its 15^th title since 1978 and third in seven years. The championship game is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Memorial Day.

“This is a buzz saw of a sectional, and the season has been a buzz saw. This is kind of the way it’s been all year. I’d love to tell you it surprises me, but this is unbelievable baseball in central Indiana,” Sassanella said.