Cougars earn HHC series sweep with extra-inning win over Dragons

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Greenfield-Central’s Gavin Atwood moves to get out of the way of a pitch during their game against New Palestine at Greenfield-Central High School Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Rob Baker/Daily Reporter)

NEW PALESTINE — Don’t let the final score fool you.

The often coined sports phrase, ‘closer than the final score indicates’ is an expression that fit Wednesday’s Hoosier Heritage Conference baseball game between Greenfield-Central and New Palestine at New Palestine High School.

The pitcher’s duel portion of the battle between Hancock County and league rivals ended after seven innings, tied 1-1.

In the only extra frame needed, Greenfield-Central erupted for seven runs on just one hit, defeating the Dragons 8-1 and sweeping the teams’ two-game HHC series.

The Cougars are tied for first, with Mt. Vernon, in the conference with a 7-1 record. They are 9-4 overall. New Palestine dropped to 3-5 in league play and 5-9 in all games.

“I thought both of the starters today, Maddox Manes (for New Palestine) and Connor Sims (for Greenfield-Central) were really good,” Greenfield-Central coach Mark Vail said. “Two high school pitchers dueling it out. I thought they were outstanding.”

Sims was perfect through 4.1 innings. He threw 5.1 innings overall and gave up just one hit. He struck out 10.

Manes, who was coming back from an injury suffered last week, threw seven innings for the Dragons. He struck out nine and gave up only five hits.

“I was real impressed (with Sims) and Maddox battled, coming off an injury,” New Palestine coach Shawn Lyons said. “It was a sectional-type atmosphere. Every play, every pitch mattered. It was a fun game to be part of for seven innings.”

Andrew Zellers relieved Sims in the sixth and gave up just one more hit, but the Dragons bullpen wasn’t able to match.

In the eighth, Greenfield-Central scored seven runs on just one hit. New Palestine used three different relievers and Cougars hitters were able to draw six walks and two hit batsmen. Another hitter reached on an error and there was also a wild pitch.

The only hit of the inning was a lead-off single by Carson Gibson.

Following Gibson, Gavin Atwood drew a walk. After AJ Oden was retired on a fly ball, Joey Roland walked to load the bases. Zellers, in his first plate appearance after relieving Sims, was hit by pitch, forcing in the go-ahead run.

“I just thought we just stayed with it until they finally gave us something,” Vail said of his team’s patience at the plate in the final inning. “We talk a lot about just staying the course, stay with it and not changing too much. It worked out.”

In the fourth inning, Greenfield-Central took a 1-0 lead. Oden led off the inning with a double. Junior Joey Roland followed with an RBI-single.

Blaine Nunnally broke up Sims’ perfect game in the fifth with a one-out single. Twice in the inning Sims got help from his defense.

Third baseman Oden made a diving snag of a liner off the bat of Zayden Stiller to open the frame. With one out, Kaiden Kirkwood’s potential RBI-hit in the right-center field gap was grabbed by G-C center fielder Lance McKee.

Without a hit, the Dragons tied it in the sixth. Reise Quillen led off with a walk, moved to second on a balk and to third on a fly ball out off the bat of Carter Stogsdill. Quillen scored on a passed ball.

For the Cougars, Gibson and Roland each had two-hit games.

A two-out single by Manes in the sixth was the Dragons only other hit.

Both teams had runners on in the seventh. New Palestine, with two outs, got a Luke Legault walk. Pinch-runner Hayden Isaacs stole second base, but a fly out ended the inning.

Greenfield-Central won the first game of the series Tuesday at home, 5-2.