NEW PALESTINE — Both teams led Wednesday’s nonconference game off with singles.
Fishers couldn’t take advantage of their quick base runner. New Palestine did.
The Dragons (17-1) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead behind four RBIs from Ashley Prange in the first two innings and pulled away for a 17-5 home win.
“We did a nice job with Jaylin (Calvert) getting on base and then Ashley getting us on the board there early — went opposite field, you don’t see that a whole lot,” New Palestine coach Ed Marcum said of his first two batters of the game. “And then Ashley came through for us again.”
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Click here to purchase photos from this galleryAfter seeing Fishers (13-7) cut the New Palestine lead to 5-3 in the top of the third inning, the Dragons offense put the game away fast, sending 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame and piling on the runs.
After loading the bases with one out, Emma Tucher singled to left, and a fielding error allowed the hit to clear the bases, putting Tucher on third and giving the Dragons a five-run cushion again. Pinch-hitter TeTe Hart singled to bring in Tucher and bring on a new Tigers pitcher.
The pitching change didn’t slow down the Dragons. A double by Calvert, sacrifice fly by Prange — her fifth RBI of the game — a double by Emily O’Connor, two straight fielding errors and a Macy Miller two-RBI single put the Dragons ahead 15-3 after three innings.
“It was kind of unlike us in the fact that we scored 10 runs with no home runs,” Marcum said of the inning. “We just kept pounding doubles, base hits, making them work. I thought that was big.”
Fishers had tried to build momentum to start the game, as the first pitch of the night was hit into right field by center fielder Courtney James for a single. But two groundouts to third and a strikeout from Dragons pitcher Mackenzie Jones quickly ended the top half of the first.
Calvert responded with an opening single of her own, a blooper just over the third baseman’s head. After several pitches fouled to the third base side, Prange gave New Palestine an early lead with her home run.
That blast sparked the Dragons.
The New Palestine offense came out hot in the second inning after gaining the early lead. A leadoff double was hit to the warning track in center by Tatum Biddle and a throwing error on the play put a runner on third, and Miller’s grounder to short resulted in her reaching safely as a throw to third to try to get Biddle out wasn’t successful.
A four-pitch walk to Tucher loaded the bases.
After two infield popouts, the second of which scored a runner on an infield fly, Prange came back up to bat and singled up the middle, driving in two more runs and putting the Dragons up five.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the top of the third after two singles and a walk. A groundout to shortstop scored a run, and a single from Hannah Mays brought home two more. But that was all the resistance Fishers could muster.
New Palestine was led at the plate by their No. 1 and No. 2 hitters. Calvert went 3 for 4 with three runs scored, three RBIs, a double and a home run. Prange was 3 for 3 with a home run, a pair of singles, a run scored and five RBIs.
The Dragons next opponent is the team they open sectional play with in a week and a half, Connersville. Next week, New Palestine travels to Indian Creek to face a possible sectional final opponent.
“It’s kind of weird playing them (Connersville) this late in the season, and then Tuesday we’ve got Indian Creek, who we might see in the finals,” Marcum said. “As a coaching staff we’ve still got to figure out how we’re going to approach this. We need to come out and establish who we are, but at the same time, I just want us to come out and play solid.”
