Baseball
Cougars sweep Dragons
Greenfield-Central got a pair of big conference and county rivalry wins on Saturday (in games postponed from Friday night), sweeping New Palestine with 10-4 and 7-3 victories.
The Cougars’ Adam Hutchison contained the Dragons in the first game, striking out 10 in five innings in earning the win. Bradley McDowell led the Cougars with three RBIs. Jack Walker led the Dragons with a 3-for-4 game at the plate, with a double, triple, run and RBI.
The Dragons scored first in the second game and outhit the Cougars, 10 to seven, but a five-run sixth inning from the visitors proved to be the difference. McDowell threw a complete game for the Cougars, striking out seven. Walker struck out 10 in five innings for New Palestine. The two pitchers each added two hits on offense.
Marauders earn split
Mt. Vernon took on Pendleton Heights in a Saturday baseball doubleheader, postponed from Friday night, and earned a split against their conference rival Arabians, falling 2-1 in the opener and winning 1-0 in the second game.
In the opener, the Arabians held the Marauders to four hits, holding on to a lead they took in the first inning to get the win. Jake Stank led Mt. Vernon with two hits and an RBI. Will Nelson started on the mount, throwing 5.2 innings and striking out five while allowing seven hits and the two runs.
The Game 2, a pitchers’ duel went scoreless until the seventh inning, when Jackson Dunlavy led off with a single — the second of just two hits for Mt. Vernon in the game — and scored after a fielding error on a pop fly two batters later. Eli Clotfelter started and threw five innings, striking out four and allowing four hits. AJ Swingle and Shaun Shipley each threw one scoreless inning in the win.
Softball
Dragons take two
New Palestine hosted two strong Class 4A teams on Saturday, No. 12 Roncalli and previously-ranked Seymour, and picked up a pair of wins, 10-5 against Roncalli and 4-0 against the Owls.
In the opener against Roncalli, the Dragons fell behind 4-0 and 5-2 as the Rebels hit three homers, but the Dragons responded in their final two at-bats.
Sam Booe got the win, allowing one hit and striking out five in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Emma Tucher was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Tatum Biddle was 1-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Emily O’Connor was 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Michaela Jones was 1-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Jaylin Calvert was 1-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI. Booe was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Kinsey Mitchell scored three times.
Kaylea Bullock threw a three-hit shutout against Seymour. The Owls had a couple of threats — loading the bases in the seventh and putting two runners in scoring position in the third — but the Dragon pitcher was in command with an eight-strikeout performance.
Jones was 2-for-3 with a run. Macy Miller was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer. Kendal Calvert was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Jaylin Calvert was 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Mitchell and Lexi Campbell each had hits.
Cougars outlast Rushville
Greenfield-Central bounced back from a tough Friday loss with a win in a high-scoring Saturday game, topping Rushville, 13-12.
Sam Kihega and Keryna Barrett led the Cougars offense, each homering twice and driving in five RBIs. Emily Francis also hit a home run. Kihega and Macy Francis had three hits, and Barrett, Kensie Bradley and Mallory Fultz each had a pair of hits.
Greenfield-Central’s projected No. 1 pitcher coming into the season, Madge Weidner, saw her first game action of the year, throwing three innings and allowing five hits and five runs. Macy Fultz pitched three innings, allowing seven hits and six runs, and Hannah Holden threw one inning, allowing a hit and an unearned run.
New Palestine
Track
Dragons compete in invite
The New Palestine track and field teams had strong showings at Friday’s Zionsville Invitational.
The Dragon girls tallied 83 points, one back of second-place Brownsburg. Zionsville was the champion with 124. The Dragon boys were sixth with 49.3 points in the 10-team invitational.
For the Dragon girls, Jordan Reid had a great start to the meet, winning the 100 meters in 12.53 seconds. Reid also finished second in the 400. Aden Lumbley was second in the shot put. The Dragons were runners-up in the 4×400 relay.
For the Dragon boys, Laine Schonauer finished second in the 400.
Marauders 3rd at Kokomo
Mt. Vernon competed in Saturday’s Kokomo Relays with both the boys and girls teams earning a third-placed finish.
The Marauder boys won two events, the 4×110 shuttle hurdle relay and the 1,200 meter sprint medley relay. Keagan Labelle was second in the pole vault and Brent Donaldson was second in the 110 hurdles. Micheal Damer was third in the 1,000 meter, Matt Foor was third in the shot put and 4×100 relay team also finished third.
For the girls, the mid-distance relay of Kamryn Eason, Morgan Tharp, Arianna Mack and Rilee Hartman finished second, as did the sprint medley team of Eliza Bidwell, Emily Keeler, Mack and Eason. The 400 meter shuttle hurdle relay of Hailey Watson, Vivian Hoeppner, Jessi Meadows and Raelyn Stanfield finished third. Individually Faith Hayes was third in the discus and Mack was third in the 100 meter.
Girls tennis
Cougars get win
After getting rained out on Thursday, Greenfield-Central traveled to New Castle on Friday, picking up a 4-1 conference win.
Avery Spencer won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Grace Hall won 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles. At No. 3 singles, Nae Pattakul won 6-0, 6-1.
The No. 2 doubles duo of Kaleigh Stephenson and Grace Silcox picked up a 6-2, 6-3 win for the Cougars.
Dragons get sweep
New Palestine improved its record to 5-2 Friday with a 5-0 victory at Lawrence Central despite strong winds and tough weather.
At singles, Megan Long won 7-5, 6-3, Nicole Wernimont won 6-1, 6-3 and Caylie Almond won 6-0, 6-0.
Claire Cherry/Josee King won 6-2, 7-6(2) and Ashley Truman/Sheridan Schrowe won 6-1, 6-1 at doubles.
Royals earn victory
Eastern Hancock picked up a win Friday night, topping Northeastern, 4-1.
Chelsi McMahan won 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 at No. 1 singles. Cassandra Hannemann won 7-5, 6-1 at No. 2 and Valentina Brooks won 6-3, 6-1 at No. 3.
At No. 2 doubles, Madison Hagan and Corina Jennings picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win for the Royals.
