FORTVILLE — One throwing error was all it took for New Palestine to start the barrage.
The top-ranked Dragons have proven to be a team you can’t afford to make mistakes against. Mt. Vernon found that out definitively Thursday in Fortville, as the Dragons outlasted the Marauders 13-4 by capitalizing on costly errors.
Through their first five games, New Palestine (6-0) averaged nearly 16 runs, 15 hits and almost five home runs per game. Their offense is plenty potent on its own without getting extra opportunities at the plate.
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Against a hot Marauders (5-3) team that had won five straight coming in, the Dragons took advantage of two second-inning errors to gain early momentum and an early cushion they would need to stay in front.
After a walk to New Palestine catcher Michaela Jones, a throwing error by Mt. Vernon shortstop Sydnee Perry moved Jones all the way to third and allowed Tatum Biddle to reach safely and advance to second.
That was enough to jump-start the Dragons offense.
Macy Miller smacked a single into left field to score the game’s first run. Emma Tucher grounded to short, scoring Biddle. A fielding error led to another runner reaching base, and singles by Jaylin Calvert and Ashley Prange doubled the lead to 4-0.
“Macy had a huge game,” New Palestine coach Ed Marcum said. “She really came through with a big hit early for us to get us going.”
But Mt. Vernon didn’t let the early outburst faze them. The Marauders fought back. Three straight hits in the second inning — a single by Jadan Fithian, a double by Anelise Worden and a single by Cassidy Parker — helped to cut the deficit in half.
After Michaela Jones opened the third with a solo home run to right-center field, the Marauders again immediately returned the favor, as Kaitlyn Nugent led off the bottom of the inning with a rocket to nearly the same location in right-center.
“I thought we did a great job,” Mt. Vernon coach Veronica Kirby said. “We stayed in the game and stayed focused. We did a good job of not letting any inning beat us.”
New Palestine did what they typically do from that point on, scoring in every inning after the first and pulling away. The Dragons added three home runs to follow Michaela Jones’ third-inning shot, including another from Jones and one each from Emily O’Connor and Jaylin Calvert.
The Marauders never let New Palestine get the one big inning that would blow the game wide open, though.
Mt. Vernon nearly kept pace with the Dragons on hits, finishing with 12 for the game to the visitors’ 16. But four total errors and a slew of runners stranded proved too costly for the hosts.
“We kind of stayed with it,” Marcum said. “Their pitcher did an outstanding job. She beared down and made the pitches when she needed them. My compliments to her.”
Mt. Vernon pitcher Karlee Franklin, a freshman, prevented New Palestine from breaking the game open multiple times. She finished with two strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work against the potent offense.
Mackenzie Jones got the win for the Dragons, striking out four and walking just one in five innings. She allowed three of the Marauders’ four runs. Kaylea Bullock shut the door on Mt. Vernon over the final two innings, striking out two and walking two while allowing one run.
Riley Hasseld led the way for Mt. Vernon, finishing a perfect 4 for 4 with four singles and an RBI. Nugent, Fithian and Worden each had a pair of hits, with Fithian reaching base all four times she came to bat.
Miller and Ashley Prange led the way for New Palestine on offense with three hits each. Miller and O’Connor each had three RBIs for the Dragons, while Bullock had two doubles over the final two innings.
Also recording two hits for the Dragons were Calvert, O’Connor and Michaela Jones.
Although the final margin was nine, Kirby said that her team can come away feeling positive about how they played. Until the late innings they mostly contained the Dragons offense, and without a few fielding mistakes and some missed opportunities, they weren’t that far away from Class 3A’s top team.
“This should give the girls confidence,” Kirby said. “It should show these girls how good they are.”
