NEW PALESTINE — For the second straight night, Mt. Vernon got its runs in bunches.
Aided by four third-inning New Palestine errors, Mt. Vernon scored seven in the frame, erasing the Dragons 2-0 lead on the way to an 8-6 victory and sweep of their two-game Hoosier Heritage Conference series Friday at New Palestine High School.
On Thursday, at Mt. Vernon, the Marauders scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to a pull out a 9-5 win. They had a four-run third-inning on Thursday, too.
Mt. Vernon is 5-1 in the HHC and tied for first place with Greenfield-Central, which beat Yorktown Friday, splitting its two-game set with the Tigers.
New Palestine dropped to 3-3 in league play. Mt. Vernon is 9-3 overall. The Dragons are 4-6.
“Personally, I think New Pal is one of the top teams in the conference. You come in and get a sweep against them that definitely helps you in the conference race,” Mt. Vernon coach Brad King said. “They are a class program and coach (Shawn) Lyons does a great job with them every year. We feel fortunate we were able to take two from them this weekend.”
To start the third, Mt. Vernon got a lead-off triple from Landon Clark. Three of the next four Marauders reached on errors. Tied 2-2 and with the bases loaded, Eli Clotfelter hit a two-out, bases-clearing double off the left-field fence. Clotfelter scored on a Gehrig Slunaker single, who later came across on the Dragons fourth error of the inning.
It was the second straight night the Marauders got a timely hit from senior Clotfelter. He had a two-run double in the five-run fifth on Thursday to go with being the winning pitcher.
“I was just trying to put the ball in play,” Clotfelter said of his three-run double. “It worked in my favor and went a little further than anticipated. I was just trying to hit the ball and at least get one run in.”
Five of Mt. Vernon’s nine hits came in the third inning.
“We kind of broke loose, executed a bunt (by Nate Weaver) and we just attacked the ball,” King said. “When we are at our best offensively, we attack the ball and we run the bases aggressively. We got good pitching, good defense and timely hits.”
Mt. Vernon added another run in the fifth with a hit batsmen, stolen base and Dragon error.
A.J. Swingle threw four-plus innings to get the win. Gavin Sullivan got the Marauders out of a jam late to pick up his second save of the season.
New Palestine committed seven errors, but still had a chances in its last at-bat. Mt. Vernon had to hang on when the Dragons managed a four-run, two-out rally.
After two out, the next six Dragons reached. Blaine Nunnally had a two-run single and Reese Quillen knocked in another with a single. With the bases loaded, Luke Legault was hit by pitch to cut it to 8-6, but the Dragons left the bases loaded.
“They’re a good team and you can’t give them extra outs,” Lyons said. “They did what you are supposed to do, take advantage of it.
“We just didn’t play good baseball.”
The Dragons jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Carter Stogsdill opened the Dragon first with a single. He stole second and scored on a double by Zayden Stiller. Eli Bruns, who walked prior to the Stiller hit, scored on a sacrifice fly by Kaiden Kirkwood.
Along with the rivals playing two key conference games, the series also marked Indiana High School Baseball and Softball’s celebration of Jackie Robinson Day.
Robinson was Major League Baseball’s first African-American player.
All players (Dragons in red and Marauders in blue) wore jerseys with Robinson’s No. 42. The front of the uniform had the insignia of the Indianapolis’s team from the Negro Leagues, the Indianapolis Clowns.
“I think it was pretty cool that we got to experience this and honor him for what he did,” Clotfelter said.
