GREENFIELD — The Greenfield-Central softball team finished with a pair of victories on Saturday to win the Cougar Classic Tournament championship.
The Cougars won their own tournament by defeating Columbus East, 8-4, and Seymour, 8-2, in the deciding game. They lost to Frankton, 9-8, in eight innings.
Against Columbus East, the host Cougars built an early 2-0 lead and later turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 lead en route to the win.
The G-C offense was fueled by Ella Redmon, who finished 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs scored, a triple and a pair of home runs.
Mallorie Fultz connected for a double and drove in a run, going 1-for-2. Megan Wineinger went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Morgan Hornaday (1-for-4) also drove in a run.
Hannah Holden earned the pitching win, lasting 5.1 innings with a walk and two strikeouts.
In the Cougars’ loss to Frankton, the visiting Eagles took a 4-0 lead before G-C deadlocked the score in the bottom of the second.
Frankton pulled ahead 8-4 after the fourth inning, but the Cougars chipped away with two, two-run frames in the bottom of the fifth and seventh.
Frankton scored the go-ahead run in the eighth and finished with nine hits and one error. G-C logged 13 hits and three errors.
The Cougars had a trio of two-RBI performances in the game from Lilly Stewart (3-for-5, double, home run), Wineinger (2-for-4) and Olivia Roberts (2-for-3, double, home run). Redmon (2-for-5, home run) and Ellie Ewald (2-for-3, double) each drove in a run apiece.
Against Seymour, the Cougars jumped out quickly, establishing a 6-0 lead after two innings behind 16 hits overall in the game.
Redmon blasted her fourth home run of the day to pace the Cougars’ attack, finishing 1-for-4 with three RBI.
Ewald went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Stewart was 4-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Fultz was 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Caroline Gibson went 2-for-4 with a double. Holden was 2-for-4 and Wineinger finished 4-for-4.
Holden picked up two wins on the day, pitching 6.0 innings with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Cougars (2-4 HHC) are now 14-7 on the season. They traveled to Hamilton Southeastern on Monday and are on the road at Hoosier Heritage Conference front-runner New Palestine (24-0, 5-0 HHC) today at 5:30 p.m.
Royals win Franklin Invite
The fifth-ranked Class 2A Eastern Hancock softball team extended its winning streak to 22 consecutive this Saturday after claiming the Franklin County Invitational title.
The Royals defeated host Franklin County 8-5 on Friday night to open the tournament and later beat Blackford, 17-1, and No. 3 2A Union County, 11-5, on Saturday to win the championship.
Against Blackford, EH’s five-inning, run-rule victory was powered by an 18-hit attack at the plate.
Both Caroline Stapleton (2-for-3) and Brooklyn Willis (2-for-2) drove in four runs apiece. Willis had two home runs, while Sammie Bolding (2-for-2, three RBI), Kaylee Kline (3-for-4, two RBI) and Taylor Koch (2-for-4, RBI) each had home runs.
Kaylee Stewart (3-for-3) drove in two runs, while Tatem Adams went 2-for-2.
Maddie Turner pitched for the win, going 5.0 innings with five walks and eight strikeouts.
Against Union County, the Royals tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first, grabbed a 5-1 lead after three frames and snapped a 5-5 deadlock after the top of the fifth with six unanswered runs down the stretch.
Koch led the way at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double. Sammie Bolding went 2-for-5 with a double, Kline was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a double, Willis was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double.
Stewart finished 2-for-5 with an RBI. Emma Bolding drove in a run as well.
Turner picked up the win, pitching 4.0 innings with four walks and seven strikeouts.
The Royals (6-0 MEC) are now 22-1 on the season. They traveled to No. 17 4A Pendleton Heights on Monday and host Mid-Eastern Conference foe Daleville today at 5:30 p.m.
Tennis
Dragons split HHC weekend
The New Palestine girls tennis team defeated HHC foe Pendleton Heights on Friday night and lost to conference opponent No. 11 Delta on Saturday.
On Friday, the Dragons downed Pendleton Heights, 5-1, to improve to 4-2 in the HHC.
The Dragons won two of the three singles matches as Olivia Hasenkamp won 6-1, 6-2, and Courtney Johnson won 6-3, 6-1, at No. 2 and 3 singles, respectively.
New Palestine swept the doubles matches, with Lucy Miller/Maddy Potter winning 7-6(2), 6-2, giving Potter her first varsity win.
Lily Haeberle/Josephine Harvey won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles. The schools played a No. 3 doubles match to allow the Arabians’ two additional seniors a chance to play on senior night. Erica Long/Alyssa Kauchak won 6-3, 6-0, in that contest.
On Saturday, the Dragons fell by a razor-thin 3-2 margin to No. 11 Delta.
Abby Blachly won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1 singles, while Olivia Hasenkamp won 7-6(4), 6-2 at No. 2 singles. Courtney Johnson played a strong match at No. 3 but fell 7-5, 6-1.
At doubles, the Dragons’ teams of Lucy Miller/Maddy Potter and Lily Haeberle/Erica Long both fell in straight sets.
The Dragons finished HHC play with a 4-3 record.
Baseball
Dragons fall to Spartans
The New Palestine baseball team dropped a 14-4 decision in six innings Saturday at Connersville.
The Dragons fell behind 6-0 in the first inning and 10-0 after three before scoring twice each in the fourth and sixth innings.
Brendan Tabor hit a solo homer, was 2-for-3 and scored twice to lead the Dragons’ nine-hit attack.
Wes Stiller was 2-for-3 with a double and a run. Luke Legault drove in two runs with a single. Kaiden Kirkwood also had an RBI hit. Blaine Nunnally, Nolan Espich and Carter Stogsdill also had hits for the Dragons.
The Dragons are now 10-14 on the season.
