The inaugural Mt. Vernon baseball Invitational was rained out after the opening round, but the Marauders didn’t miss out on adding its fifth straight victory.
Mt. Vernon (5-1) defeated Indianapolis Scecina, 6-1, in the morning before the invite’s afternoon championship game between the Marauders and Munster was called due to rain after three innings. Mt. Vernon led 1-0.
In the first game, Mt. Vernon led 2-1 after the first inning and added single runs scored in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth frames to increase their season-runs total to 73 in seven contests.
As a team, the Marauders are hitting .348 with 54 RBI and seven home runs.
Senior Hunter Dobbins blasted his team-leading fourth and fifth home runs against Scecina to finish 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs.
Dobbins, a Ball State recruit, is carrying an .842 batting average (16-for-19) with 17 RBI and five doubles.
The Marauders had six hits total with a double by Jake Stank (1-for-3) and a triple from Nate Weaver (1-for-2). Stank is hitting .478 this season with 12 RBI, 12 runs scored, two doubles, a triple and a home run.
Eli Bridenthal went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Weaver picked up the win, pitching 6.0 innings with 10 strikeouts, three hits allowed and two walks.
Dragons’ rally falls short
A seventh-inning rally fell short Saturday as the New Palestine baseball team dropped a 7-5 decision to visiting Batesville.
Trailing 7-3 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Dragons loaded the bases by drawing three walks. Caleb Davis drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk after falling behind 1-2 in the count. Maddox Manes then drew another walk. With the potential winning run on base, the Dragons popped out to end the threat.
New Palestine scored its five runs on three hits. The Bulldogs outhit the Dragons 11-3. Davis had two of the Dragons’ hits.
Brendan Tabor took the decision in relief, allowing two earned runs and three hits in two innings. Blaine Nunnally had a solid start, allowing one earned run, four hits and striking out four in four innings.
The Dragons are now 2-2 on the season.
Softball
Cougars suffer first loss
The Greenfield-Central softball team suffered its first loss of the season, after opening the year 6-0, at Noblesville on Monday night.
The host Millers led 1-0 before scoring 10 more runs over the next four innings to win 13-3 in six frames.
Greenfield-Central (6-1) cut the deficit 6-3 in the top of the fifth, but the Millers drove in seven unanswered runs to halt the Cougars’ quest at seven straight victories.
The Cougars logged seven hits, including a double by Camille Burelison (1-for-1, two walks), but they left 11 runners on base.
Megan Wineinger went 2-for-2 at the plate for G-C with two of the team’s six walks. Ellie Ewald was 1-for-2 with an RBI, while Lilly Stewart went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Burelison was credited for the loss with eight hits allowed over 4.1 innings pitched and four strikeouts.
Marauders run-rule Lutheran
The Mt. Vernon softball team defeated visiting Indianapolis Lutheran, 18-1, by run rule in five innings on Saturday.
The Marauders (3-1) posted 19 hits, including home runs by Drew Fithian, Mia Robbins and Maddie Taylor.
Macey Cox paced the hit parade, going 4-for-4 with three RBI, while Fithian, Taylor, Robbins and Riley Hasseld each had multiple hits.
Karlee Franklin went 5.0 innings for the win, allowing two hits, one run and striking out eight with one walk.
Track and Field
Marauders second at Terre Haute
The Mt. Vernon girls track and field team traveled to Terre Haute North on Saturday for the 13-team Patriot Challenge and finished second overall with 164.5 points.
The host Terre Haute North Patriots won the event, where as many individuals in any event were able to score team points, while Seeger placed a distant third to Mt. Vernon.
The Marauders’ individual event winners included: Riley Nielsen (pole vault), Mya Eppert (100-meter dash, 200), Morgan Tharp (1,600-meter run, 800) and Anna Stanfield (300 hurdles).
The Marauders had five runner-up finishers and seven competitors take third. Overall, Mt. Vernon placed eighth or better behind 26 different individuals or relay teams.
Cougars show grit in Greensburg
The Greenfield-Central girls track and field team traveled to Greensburg for the Cross Bones Relay, but the weather didn’t cooperate.
Rain canceled all field events and the hurdle relay, but the Cougars performed well in the contested running events.
The 400-meter relay team of Lauren Uptgrove, Lindsey McCord, Ava Grass and Savanah Lake took first place. The quartet of Addie Hill, Audrey Pechin, Reagan Crouch and Kayana Maroska won the 1,600 relay.
The 800 relay team of Hill, Pechin, Megan Scott and Maroska were second. Uptgrove, McCord, Pechin and Lake were also second in the sprint medley relay.
Royals run hard at WC
The Eastern Hancock boys track team competed in the Warren Central Relays on Saturday and finished with 17 points during the eight-team event.
Top performers for the Royals were: long jumpers Cole Rainbolt and Kain Sotelo who jumped a combined 36-07 for a third-place finish; the sprint medley team of Ashton Smith, Houston Swan, Rainbolt, and Zach Arnold (1:39.88, fourth place); the shuttle hurdle team of Peyton Speer, Sotelo, Cayden Sotelo, and Tyler Speer (1:09.35, fourth place); the 1,600-meter relay team of Smith, Arnold, Jayden Stine, and Cayden Sotelo (3:38.27, fifth place); and the 3,200 relay team of Daniel Campbell, Luken Edwards, Luke McCartney and Cayden Sotelo (9:08.8, sixth place).
Boys Golf
Marauders placed fifth in opener
The Mt. Vernon boys golf team opened its season on Saturday, placing fifth at the Yorktown Invitational.
Host Yorktown won the 10-team event with a 327, followed by Franklin with 328. Noblesville was third at 329, Guerin Catholic was fourth at 333 and Mt. Vernon tallied a 344. New Palestine was sixth at 348.
Sam McWilliams led the Marauders with a 3-over par 75, posting 13 pars, one birdie and four bogeys. He shot a 39 on the front nine and was par on the back nine at 36.
Braeden Baker led the Dragons at The Players Club with a 78. Matt Barada shot an 85, Sammy Chifalo added a 92. A.J. Williams tallied a 93 and Alex Cofer scored a 96.
Girls Tennis
Dragons win HHC opener
The New Palestine tennis team won its Hoosier Heritage Conference opener Friday, sweeping New Castle 5-0.
Abby Blachly led the Dragons with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 1 singles. Olivia Hasenkamp won 6-1, 3-0 (inj. default) at No. 2 singles, while Courtney Johnson won her first varsity match at No. 3 by a 6-1, 6-0 score.
NP also swept the doubles, with Lucy Miller/Emmy Giddens winning 6-0, 6-3 and Alyssa Kauchak/Erica Long winning 6-0, 6-0.
