NEW PALESTINE — One run games are basically coin flips. And the odds played out as you’d expect Friday night, as the New Palestine Dragons split a pair of one-run decisions to the visiting Delta Eagles.
The first game ended in a 4-3 victory, while game two ended in a 5-4 defeat.
The first game was highlighted by senior ace Jack Walker, who threw six innings with 13 strikeouts, helping carry the Dragons as they scored all of their runs in the first inning.
“This was probably the best game he’s pitched this season,” Dragons coach Shawn Lyons said afterwards. “It was the first time we extended him and he battled through it with great stuff.”
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The key moment in the game was in the top of the sixth inning, when the Eagles had loaded the bases after three Walker walks. Lyons was halfway out to the mound when he abruptly turned around and allowed Walker to face another batter.
Walker struck him out and the Eagles threat was over.
“He respectfully told me to leave him in there,” Lyons said. “That was a good sign to me. He’s our leader and he had one more batter left with his pitch count, so I let him finish it out himself.”
The Dragons scored four runs in the first inning, which was all they would need. Noah Mack drove in Colby Jenkins and Walker with a two-run single, Aven Jones drew a bases loaded walk, and Grant Hickman hit a sacrifice fly to left.
In game two, Dragons miscues contributed to coming out on the losing side of a one-run decision.
“We kept giving them four outs an inning or taking an out away from ourselves on the base paths,” Lyons said. “You can’t do that against talented teams.”
Encapsulating this thought was the winning run scored by the Eagles in the bottom of the sixth. Brady Edwards reached on an error, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and was driven in by a single by the next hitter.
The Dragons were able to score in four of the seven innings, but baserunning miscues in three of those innings cut short potential rallies.
The Dragons still have a shot at the Hooiser Heritage Conference crown, but it would require winning all four remaining conference games against Pendleton Heights and New Castle.
“We won the conference last year and didn’t win sectional,” Lyons said. “And a few teams in our conference who didn’t win it did win their sectional. Sectional is the big prize and we are really seeing some good signs heading towards that direction.”
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Game 1
New Palestine 4, Delta 3
DHS (10-8, 5-6 HHC);000;002;1;-;3;6;0
NP (11-7, 6-3 HHC);400;000;x;-;4;9;0
WP: Jack Walker (3-2). LP: Chase Gardner (0-3). Save: Grant Hickman.
2B: J. Walker (NP).
Notable: Jack Walker: 6 IP, 13 K, 4 BB, 5 H, 2 ER.
Game 2
Delta 5, New Palestine 4
NP (11-8, 6-4);101;101;0;-;4;9;2
DHS (10-9, 6-6);201;101;x;-;5;9;2
WP: Dalin Case (2-1). LP: Jaden Jacques (2-3).
2B: J. Walker, C. Jenkins (NP); A. Hines, C. Levers (Delta)
3B: W. Woodin (Delta).
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