For the Daily Reporter
NEW PALESTINE — The rankings came out the day before New Palestine softball took on Indianapolis Cathedral.
New Palestine had lost their No. 1 ranking in Class 3A for the first time this season. Edgewood, Belmont and Yorktown took the first three spots. Perhaps from New Palestine’s loss the previous week to Class 4A No. 1 Center Grove or perhaps from the other teams’ wins.
Needless to say, the Dragons had a little extra fire in their swings Tuesday night on their way to a 22-3 victory.
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They left no doubt in anybody’s minds why they had been ranked No. 1 all season and their plan to return to No. 1.
“The girls did see that we had dropped in the poll and they were a little surprised,” New Palestine head coach Ed Marcum said. “I think they did come out with some extra motivation.”
It wasn’t apparent in the first inning, but the second inning saw a similar team to the one that had set the seven-home-runs-in-one-game record at the beginning of the season.
Eight hits in the second inning were followed by 10 hits in the fourth and four in the fifth. Five of those hits were home runs and three of those home runs were from the pitching staff.
Mackenzie Jones led the offense and the defense. Her sister Michaela Jones started the onslaught in the second with a double. Mackenzie Jones kept things going with a hit of her own.
Emily O’Connor found the sweet spot with the first home run of the game, followed several batters later by a bomb from Mackenzie Jones in her second at-bat of the inning.
Mackenzie Jones turned around to strikeout two batters and force a pop up, only to come back to the plate and crank another home run.
Something must have been in the pitchers’ water because Kaylea Bullock relieved Mackenzie Jones in the fourth inning, went through five batters, then stepped up to the plate and smashed her first home run of the season.
“Kaylea certainly took advantage of that opportunity,” Marcum said.
Another hitter that took advantage was first baseman Rieley Widmann. Her home run — bringing the team total to five — cleared the tree line overseeing the New Palestine outfield.
“It was a good day,” Marcum said. “Offensively we played well and I thought our pitchers threw really well.”
Of New Palestine’s 22 hits, five were home runs and seven were doubles. Michaela Jones went 3 for 3 with two doubles. Ashley Prange went 2 for 3 with a double and a sacrifice fly and Emma Tucher went 2 for 2 with a double and two walks.
A few more names that don’t see at-bats as often made some waves as well.
Widmann’s home run also was her first. Raegan Hiatt smacked a double to left-center in her first at-bat of the season. Kendal Calvert and Sarah Greene also got hits of their own.
“We got hitters all the way through — even my JV team,” Marcum said. “Some of these girls are great hitters but they don’t get as many opportunities.”
It’s taken a team effort to make it to 13-1 so far this season. The team have now reached 41 total home runs.
“It takes a total effort and that’s what we were able to do,” Marcum said.
The Dragons continue at home in a Hoosier Heritage Conference game against Pendleton Heights today.
