Riley Eikhoff’s no-hitter over Independence highlighted Indy’s last game in the 2017 Hannahan Invitational Tournament. In the five inning no-hitter the Patriot High School freshman faced sixteen Indy hitters, striking out three, gave up one walk and allowed only one base runner. Indy’s Michael Menzer reached first base after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning.

In top of the first inning the Pioneer offense wasted no time getting things going. The Pioneers sent eleven batters to the plate and scored seven runs on four hits, four walks and left the bases loaded as the inning ended.

Indy’s pitcher Jake McDaniel came on in the first inning with Indy trailing 7-0. McDaniel struck out his first batter. The second hitter grounded out.  The next Pioneer hitter reached on a single, but Indy ended the inning on a fly ball to center.

McDaniel pitched through the end of the fourth and gave up no runs. In that fourth inning the Pioneers had Chase Degrood on second with one out.  The Pioneers’ Kyle Deering came to the plate and hit a hard shot back to the mound. McDaniel fielded the ball and caught Degrood off the bag and threw to second getting Degrood in a rundown between second and third.  Indy’s defense closed in fast and Angelo Aldarondo made the tag.

Immediately after the play Indy’s coaching staff went onto the field to see if McDaniel had been injured on the play. McDaniel stayed in the game and finished the inning giving up no runs. However, in the top of the fifth Corbin
Berkovics came on to relieve McDaniel.

The Pioneers had another big inning in the top of the fifth scoring five more runs on four hits and one walk. Three of the Pioneers’ runs came on a home run by third baseman Chase Degrood’s who hit a shot over the right center field wall to make the score 12-0.

Indy was unable to score in the bottom half of the fifth inning and with Patriot High leading 12-0, the umpires ruled that it was a complete game and awarded the victory to the Pioneers.