NEW PALESTINE — When you have won back-to-back state titles and 25 straight games over the last two seasons, chances are you know how to adjust when things aren’t quite going your way.
With a strong wind helping turn power-hitting Class 3A top-ranked New Palestine’s deep fly balls to fly outs, the Dragons went another route in Wednesday’s 8-3 victory against Class 4A No. 15 Franklin Central.
“We hit some really hard shots, but we’re a home run-hitting team and the wind just kept knocking everything down on us,” New Palestine head coach Ed Marcum said. “We talked about trying get something low that we could drive. We started hitting some gaps with some hard line drives.”
The Dragons were more aggressive on the base paths, too. Sophomore Kinsey Mitchell was used twice as a courtesy runner, for catcher Raegan Hiatt, and once as a pinch-runner, for Macy Miller in New Palestine’s four-run fifth inning. She stole three bases on the night and scored two runs.
“That was critical for us to get some runs on the board,” Marcum added. “I always say you have to coach to the players that you have. We don’t run a lot. We don’t want to make any outs on the bases because of the type of (power) hitters we are. When you get a day like this with the wind blowing in, I felt like we needed to take some chances to get runners in scoring position and it worked out well for us.”
Tied 1-1 in the fifth inning, Miller drew a one-out walk. Mitchell came in and stole second. She scored when Jaylin Calvert singled to right field. Emma Tucher followed with a double. With runners at second and third base, Sam Booe — who was 0-for-2 on the night with a pair of fly balls that may have been homers on another night — lined a single to left-center field. Calvert scored easily and Tucher added a run when Franklin Central catcher Erica Bowman dropped the ball at home plate.
Booe went to second on the throw and pinch-hitter Lexi Campbell followed with a two-out, RBI double.
It was more of the same in the sixth. Emily O’Connor drew a walk and Miller followed with a double to right field. The Flashes went home on a Calvert ground ball and the throw was wild. Pinch-runner Sarah Greene was safe and Miller came around to score, too. Calvert moved to second on the throw and scored on another single by Booe.
Booe, Miller and Tatum Biddle each had two hits. Miller got on base all four at-bats, including a pair of walks.
“The wind was blowing really hard. I thought we were hitting solid, but not finding the gaps. We’re an offensive team. We trusted our bats and just kept sticking with it until we got it going,” Miller said.
The Dragons knew the Flashes wouldn’t go away easily.
Right after New Palestine put four on the board in the fifth, Franklin Central got its first two runners on base in the sixth. Winning pitcher Kaylea Bullock was able to get Emma Herron to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. An infield pop up ended the inning.
New Palestine opened scoring in the second. Hiatt reached on an error. She hit a line drive right at Franklin Central second baseman Josie Newman, who couldn’t hang on to it. She had time to get Hiatt at first, but her throw was wild.
Courtesy runner Mitchell came in and stole second base. She scored on Biddle’s single up the middle.
Though the wind played havoc in the outfield, holding up a few balls that may have been home runs on another day, it didn’t hold up Franklin Central’s Jordyn Nickels’ drive to left field, though it did veer from straight away left field to down the left field line. It tied the game 1-1.
The Flashes added two runs in the seventh inning. Booe came in relief to retire the final three outs.
The Dragons are back in action at Hamilton Southeastern, receiving votes in the Class 4A poll, today for a 5:30 p.m. contest.
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3A No. 1 New Palestine 8, 4A No. 15 Franklin Central 3
FC (5-3);001;000;2;—;3;7;4
NP (5-0);010;043;X;—;8;9;1
WP: Kaylea Bullock. LP: Hailey Pardue.
2B: Emma Tucher, Lexi Campbell, Macy Miller (NP); Emma Herron, Macee Roberts, Madison Weaver (EH). HR: Jordyn Nickels (FC) RBI: Jaylin Calvert 2, Sam Booe 2, Tatum Biddle, Lexi Campbell (NP); Jordyn Nickels, Olivia Colip (FC).
Notable: Macy Miller 2-for-2, 2 BB; Kinsey Mitchell 3 SB; Sam Booe 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 IP, 1 K; Tatum Biddle 2-for-4
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