Daily Reporter staff reports
The host Mt. Vernon girls tennis team opened Sectional 38 action Wednesday with a 5-0 win against county rival Eastern Hancock.
In the singles matches, No. 1 Cassie York defeated Hailey Carlton 6-0, 6-0; No. 2 Molly Laughlin took down Grace Perkins 6-1, 6-2; and Sarah Jones scored a 6-0, 6-0 win against Kayla Huff.
On the doubles courts, the Marauders No. 1 team of Addison Eads/Emily Annakin blanked Channing Bearhope/Lexi McMahan 6-0, 6-0, while Mt. Vernon’s No. 2 team of Brianna Partin/Kendra Eberhard did the same against Kelly Mellene/Emiley Carlton.
“We’ve done a really good job this year of being focused on the task at hand,” Mt. Vernon coach Gabe Muterspaugh said after the match. “I could tell at (Tuesday’s) practice that everyone was ready to go. This team has bigger goals in mind, and we’ve accomplished our first goal of reaching the sectional finals.”
Greenfield-Central was supposed to take on New Palestine in the evening’s second scheduled sectional matchup at Mt. Vernon.
However, because of a scheduling misunderstanding between the Greenfield-Central athletics department and the Cougars tennis team, the girls were not in attendance Wednesday night.
The IHSAA approved a rescheduling of that match for 4:30 p.m. today at Mt. Vernon. The sectional championship has been pushed back to 4:30 p.m. Friday.
The Cougars did play Tuesday and fell 4-1 in their match against Warren Central.
The No. 2 doubles team of Rachel Berish/Sara Hudson (6-0, 6-2) scored Greenfield-Central’s only win.
No. 2 singles player Kendall Barr and the No. 1 doubles team of Claire Talbott and Kate Henderson each pushed their matches to three sets before falling.
BASEball
Royals match program record
With their 13-1 triumph at Triton Central on Tuesday, the Royals earned their 13th victory of the year, matching the all-time program mark posted by the 2010 team.
Clayton White earned a complete-game victory in the run-rule shortened contest. He pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk, while striking out four.
On offense, Cole Fout led the way, going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Devin Denny collected three hits, scored two runs and drove in one. Austin Clutinger and Addison True each added a couple of hits and a pair of runs scored.
The Royals have at least three more opportunities to break the school record with games against Indian Creek (8-9) today, Seton Catholic (3-15) on Friday and next week in the opening round of the state tournament.
Cheshier leads Cougars to win
Dylan Cheshier went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs to help lift host Greenfield-Central to a 9-7 Tuesday night win against Anderson.
Cheshier contributed his first RBI knock of the game in the opening frame, as he and the Cougars took advantage of three Indians (11-14) errors to take a 3-2 advantage.
He added a two-RBI double in the second, and Dallas Pribble connected on a two-out, two-RBI single in the third to extend the Greenfield-Central lead to 7-2.
Anderson fought back to knot the game at 7-7, but Cheshier broke the tie with his third RBI hit late in the contest. Blake Roberston would add a sacrifice fly later in the game to finish off the scoring.
Greenfield-Central (11-14) was back in action Wednesday at Franklin Central (5-13).
SOFTball
Big third inning lifts Dragons
The host Dragons defeated Indian Creek 4-2 on Tuesday night.
New Palestine did all of its damage in the third inning. Issy Hoyt had a two-run hit. Ashley Prange and Madison Whitaker also had an RBI in the inning.
The Dragons collected eight hits in the game. Hoyt led the way, going 2 for 3 with a double, a triple, a run and two RBIs. Adie Lorsung was 2 for 3. Mary Crumlin, Prange, Brittany Duncan and Abby O’Connor notched the Dragons’ other hits.
Senior Kaylin McMurray pitched a complete game for the win, allowing three hits, no earned runs and striking out seven.
New Palestine (21-3) plays again today against Indianapolis Lutheran (13-8).
golf
Cougars fall to Arabians
Pendleton Heights triumphed in Tuesday’s match against Greenfield-Central by shooting a 161 to the Cougars’ 185.
The Arabians’ Jake Henico earned match medalist honors with his score of 36.
