Class 4A No. 10-ranked New Palestine grabbed share of a three-way tie for the Hoosier Heritage Conference softball title with an 8-3 win against Delta on Friday.
The victory put the Dragons at 23-3 overall and 5-2 in the league. They share the HHC crown with No. 8 Greenfield-Central (23-4, 5-2 HHC) and 3A No. 4 Yorktown (21-5, 5-2 HHC).
On Thursday, the Dragons visited Indianapolis Lutheran for a non-conference tilt and came away with an 11-1 run-rule shortened victory.
New Palestine took a 2-1 lead in the first inning, then extended it to 6-1 in the second. The Dragons pushed the lead to double-digits with a five-run fourth.
Elisha Barker had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double and six RBIs.
Abby O’Connor also homered and drove in two runs. Issy Hoyt was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI. Ashley Prange went 2-for-4 with an RBI, as the Dragons picked up 12 hits.
Barker got the pitching win, allowing one run and five hits over four innings, striking out three. Lexi Cook and MacKenzie Jones pitched the fifth to finish the game.
Marauders fall in league contest
Mt. Vernon dropped its final Hoosier Heritage Conference game of the season Thursday against rival New Castle 6-3.
The Marauders jumped out to early lead with two runs in the first, but the Trojans fired back in their half of the inning with two runs of their own.
New Castle (16-9, 3-4 HHC) scored twice more in the third to put the game out of reach.
Mt. Vernon collected nine in the game.
The Marauders (10-12, 2-5 HHC) are back in action today in their own Mt. Vernon Tournament.
Royals pick up crucial league victory
Eastern Hancock inched one game closer to a share of the Mid-Hoosier Conference crown with a 3-0 victory against Edinburgh on Thursday night.
Darby Shaw led the way for the Royals, striking out seven while twirling a complete-game shutout.
On offense, Kaysi Gilbert led the Eastern Hancock attack with three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. Jordan Pierson also had three hits, and she scored twice.
The Royals (17-4, 7-1 MHC) battled North Decatur (7-13, 5-4 MHC) Friday night. A win would tie them with Hauser (20-4, 8-1) for the best record in the conference.
Cougars pounce on Greyhounds
Class 4A No. 8 Greenfield-Central took down visiting No. 13 Carmel 5-2 on Thursday and picked a new school record with its 23rd victory of the year.
The Cougars’ Darcie Huber pitched a complete game, while collecting 10 punchouts.
At the plate, Huber went 2-for-3 with two doubles. Morganne Denny added a couple of hits, while Sydney Williams hit a two-run double. Brie Whitaker reached base safely in all three of her at-bats.
Greenfield-Central (23-4) finished its regular season schedule Friday night against Lawrence North (5-22).
BASEBALL
Eastern Hancock breaks record
With its 18-8 victory against Indian Creek Thursday, the Eastern Hancock baseball team secured its 14 win of the year, broke the program’s all-time single season record.
The record of 13 wins had been achieved by Royals teams in 2010, 1998 and 1969.
Leading the way on Thursday versus the Mid-Hoosier Conference rivals Braves (8-10, 6-3 MHC) was Cole Fout. The senior went 4-for-5 and hit for the cycle, collecting a home run, triple, double and a single. He scored once and knocked in four.
The home run was his county-leading ninth of the year.
Also contributing at the plate was Devon Wagoner, who notched three hits, three RBI and scored twice.
On the mound, Austin Clutinger (5-1) picked up the win for the Royals.
Eastern Hancock (14-4, 7-2 MHC) finished up its regular-seasons schedule with Friday night’s game at Seton Catholic (3-15).
Dragons’ pitchers dominate Greenwood
Keegan Watson and Cody Chandler combined on a one-hitter Thursday, pitching New Palestine to a 3-0 victory at Greenwood.
Watson pitched five innings of one-hit ball, striking out four. Chandler pitched two perfect innings to get the save, fanning two.
The Dragons got all the offense they would need in the fifth. Tyler Woodcock and Andy Edwards walked. Watson then delivered the go-ahead hit to drive in the first run. Evan Hickman and Chandler followed with RBI hits to make it 3-0.
Hickman and Watson had two hits each. Chandler’s single was the other hit for the Dragons in their five-hit attack.
The Dragons (16-10, 7-5 Hoosier Heritage Conference) wrapped up their regular season on Friday at home against Mt. Vernon (14-11, 8-4 HHC).
