2024 Season
Season Summary
Download the season summary and future considerations from the league president below.
Noel Shines in Relief, Reds Claim First Title
October 10, 2024
Grand Park
ABOVE: With Henry Bryant in scoring position, batter Tony Iacobucci faces pitcher Donnie Noel.
The 2024 HABL double elimination championship tournament took 10 games to decide it all, and that chase came to a tipping point on Thursday, as the Reds hosted the Rockies in the championship game on D3. In the field of six teams, the Reds swept their way through the winners bracket coming from the 4th seed. They defeated the 5-seeded Fusion, the top-seeded Monarchs, and the second-seeded Rockies along the way to the championship game. Entering Thursday without a loss, they had two cracks at the title given the double elimination format. The Rockies were on short rest, earning their way into Thursday’s contest by virtue of a win Tuesday over the Monarchs in the losers bracket final. The Rockies would need two wins over the Reds to secure their 3rd HABL title. The Rockies rolled past the Black Sox in their first game, but lost to the Reds last Tuesday October 1 in a true pitcher’s duel, with the Reds escaping with a 1-0 win.
Mike Shadoan, who has pitched brilliantly in the Reds' three wins in the post-season, took the mound for the home team, and was greeted with an aggressive Rockies approach. Lead-off hitter Tony Iacobucci started things with a well hit ball to left field, but Don Pollard came in the make a diving catch for the game’s first out. That play proved to be big, as Mike Aslin drove a double into right center in the next at bat. He would come around to score, but Shadoan quelled the rally, holding the Rockies to 1. The Reds answered right back in the bottom of the first. Lefty Jeff Schmitt, who has pitched extremely well throughout the tournament as well, started for the Rockies. Rob Yeary singled and scored in the home half of the first, as the Rockies committed two uncharacteristic errors, and the game was tied at 1 after one complete inning.
Shadoan gave up a pair of singles in the second, but managed to work his way through the inning unscathed, keeping the Rockies off the board. The Reds assumed their first lead in the bottom of the inning. Singles by Pollard and Chris Carmack highlighted a two-run second, as the Reds took a 3-1 advantage.
ABOVE: Catcher John Lucia applies the tag to runner Chris Carmack, preventing the Reds from adding to the tally late in the game.
The Rockies broke through again in the third. Iacobucci reached on a single to start the inning, Aslin reached on an error, and Joe Durle walked to load the bases with no-one out. That set the stage for Joe Kowalow, who delivered a bases clearing double to left to give the Rockies a 4-3 lead. The Reds defense stepped up to stifle the rally, as they turned a terrific 5-3-5 double play to keep the damage at three runs. Mike Poore drove a hard hit grounder to Yeary at third, who threw to first for the first out, and the runner took off for third on the throw. Carmack delivered a perfect strike back across the diamond to Yeary, cutting down the attempted advance for the second out. The Reds went quietly in the third, as Schmitt, still yet to allow an earned run, gave up a pair of hits, but induced a 4-6-3 double play to silence the threat.
In the top of the fourth, Schmitt led off with a triple that sliced into the left field corner. He would score on a single up the middle by Henry Bryant, and the Rockies lead crept to 5-3. The 4th would prove to be a decisive inning as the Reds came to the plate trailing by two. Jeff Johson singled to start the inning. Then clean-up hitter Scott Yanney put together the at bat of the game. Schmitt got ahead 0-and-2 in the count, but Yanney managed to foul off some tough pitches, and worked the count to 3-2. Johnson had advanced to second on a wild pitch. After eight straight off-speed pitches, Yanney finally got a fastball he could work with, sending a drive into right-center. Rob Hausladen made a great attempt at a diving catch, but couldn’t hold on. Yeary, who was running for Johnson, came into score on the RBI double, cutting the lead to 5-4.
Yanney was 2-for-4 in the contest. Shadoan followed with a single to left scoring Yanney to knot the score at five apiece. Mike Elkin reached on a hit by pitch and the Reds had two on with no-one out. After a fly out to left, Pollard had his second single of the game, loading them for Carmack. The left hander delivered again, with a 2-run single, giving the Reds a 7-5 lead.
Shadoan pitched a 1-2-3 fifth, exiting the game with the lead. In his five innings, he allowed five runs, only three of them earned, on eight hits, striking out three. Schmitt shut down the Reds in the 5th as well, striking out two of his five for the game. He allowed 11 hits, seven runs in five innings, but only four were earned.
ABOVE: Shortstop Scott Yanney, catcher Scott Golden and pitcher Donnie Noel begin celebrating the 2024 Championship.
The Reds then turned the ball over to Donnie Noel. Like Shadoan, Noel has pitched brilliantly in the HABL playoffs, and Thursday he was at his best again. He breezed through the sixth and seventh innings.
Kowalow came on in relief for the Rockies, and was excellent in his own right. The righty struck out two in the sixth, but the Reds were able to tack on a run in the seventh.
Noel led off the inning with a walk, and then Carmack, who supplied a big part of the Reds offense on this night, did it again, lining a triple to left center to score Noel. Brian Eyre looped a single to center, that looked like it could be caught, causing Carmack to tag at third. A charging Durle couldn’t reach it in time, but grabbed it on one hop, and fired home to cut down Carmack at the plate, saving a run, and the Reds led 8-5 lead after seven innings. Carmack had three hits in three at bats on the night, driving in four. Noel struck out two in a quick eighth, Kowalow did the same, and the stage was set for the final inning.
Working in his fourth inning, Noel took the mound with a chance to lock down the reds first HABL Championship in their third final appearance (lost in 2021 and 2023 finals to the Monarchs). Schmitt gave the Rockies some hope, leading off with a single. He was erased for the first out on a fielders choice 6-4. Dave Koone then singled to give the Rockies two on with one out. Noel then got a fly out to center for the second out, putting the Reds on the precipice of the 2024 title. Aslin battled at the plate, and connected solidly, but it went right to Yeary at third, who fittingly stepped on the bag to record the force play for the final out.
The 8-5 final cements the Reds perfect post-season (4-0) and their first Hoosier Adult Baseball Title. Noel went four innings for the save, allowing no runs on just two hits, striking out three. Shadoan gets the win, completing the tournament at 4-0. Kowalow pitched three innings, allowing just one run, striking out five, surrendering four hits.
The Reds end the season with a 9-6-1 mark, playing their best baseball of the season at the right time. The Rockies finish at 9-5-2, and runners up for the second time (2020 to the Monarchs), to go along with their two titles (2018, 2022).
The HABL board would like to thank all participants in 2024 for their efforts to make it another great season. All members of the Reds, Rockies, Monarchs, Fusion, Clowns and Black Sox displayed great sportsmanship and we on the board thank you all for being the best part of the HABL. A letter from the President will follow in the coming days. -John Dearth, HABL President
The 2024 HABL Champions - Reds
(Front Row, L to R) Scott Golden, Keith Baute, Don Pollard, Donnie Noel, Scott Stowers, Ryan Easterhaus