For the Daily Reporter
CHARLOTTESVILLE — In the stands at Eastern Hancock on a sunny April afternoon, fans and family of the Royals softball team reminisced about a double-digit loss last year.
The Royals ran sprints afterward, they recalled. Unlike Friday, the onlookers remembered it being rainy that day. But the juggernaut of the opponent — the Dragons of New Palestine — were the constant. New Palestine toppled Eastern Hancock 15-2 to continue its dominance this season.
“I’ve had a lot of great teams, and I’ve never seen a team hit like this team’s been hitting,” New Palestine coach Ed Marcum said.
A mammoth third inning was the game’s turning point following an early Dragons lead. Senior Ashley Prange smashed a leadoff home run, one of two this game, over the left field fence to make the Dragons lead 4-0. Doubles by Sarah Greene and Rieley Widmann, the latter of whom cleared the loaded bases with her at-bat, contributed to an eight-run inning.
Prange, playing shortstop, almost had a third home run in her last at-bat. She led all players with four RBIs.
“We know obviously New Pal is an unbelievable team,” Eastern Hancock coach Terry Stephens said. “Their reputation precedes them. We talk about making the plays you need to make and having fun, and our bench did an unbelievable job being loud and keeping us in it.”
The contest was New Palestine’s season-low on home runs. The Dragons had hit four or more in every other game so far. Marcum praised Eastern Hancock pitcher Elise Bittinger and the team’s effort.
“I thought Eastern played a nice game,” Marcum said. “The pitcher kept us off balance there. Compliments to them.”
Eastern Hancock made strides during the offensive half of the third frame. Micah Black hit a two-run, two-out home run off New Palestine pitcher Mackenzie Jones to put the Royals on the board. The blast also closed the lead to within single digits, advancing the possibility the teams would play more than five innings.
“Being the senior and the power she is, I went up to her before and was like, ‘Let’s break this scoreless streak,’” Stephens said. “And that’s exactly what she did. Micah does what Micah does.”
But it wasn’t to last. Freshman Kendal Calvert hit a two-run single in the top of the fourth to put the New Palestine lead back up to double digits. Ashley Prange added an RBI double the next inning to cement the win.
Eastern Hancock pitcher Jessie Potts, a sophomore, would enter in relief toward the game’s end. She recorded an impressive strikeout and pitched aggressively in the top of the fifth.
“Her attitude, I absolutely love it,” Stephens said of Potts. “It’s very hard to get her flustered, and to be a pitcher that’s what you’ve got to have.”
