NEW PALESTINE — For the second straight day, the New Palestine softball team won a tight game against a ranked foe at home, as the Class 4A No. 4 Dragons beat 4A No. 10 Shelbyville 4-3 on Thursday.
The Dragons are now 16-0 on the season and 3-0 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons posted a two-out rally.
Sydney Oliver laced a single to center and advanced to second on an error. Kinsey Mitchell followed with a single to center, plating Oliver and giving the Dragons the lead 4-3.
Sam Booe retired the side in order in the seventh to finish off a complete-game win.
The Dragons trailed 2-0 two batters into the game on a single and a homer, but slowly clawed back.
Vivian Long doubled and scored on Oliver’s bunt single in the bottom of the third to get the Dragons on the board. The Dragons loaded the bases later in the frame but couldn’t add another run.
The Dragons did add one in the fourth, when Kendal Calvert and Allie Blum led off with singles. Calvert advanced to third and scored on back-to-back errors to tie the game.
The Dragons took a 3-2 lead when Alaina Miller led off with a single. She scored on an error. Shelbyville tied the game in the sixth before the Dragons answered.
Booe allowed three earned runs, six hits and struck out eight. She is now 9-0 with a 1.58 ERA.
Miller and Oliver led the Dragons’ eight hit attack with two each. Mitchell, Calvert, Blum and Long had the other hits.
The Dragons are next in action today at home against No. 1 Roncalli. The varsity game will be played at 10 a.m., followed by the JV game.
Track and Field
Royals win own invitational
The Eastern Hancock boys track and field team won its own eight-team small school invitational with 166.4 points on Thursday evening.
Herron finished with 121 to finish second overall behind the host Royals.
Zach Arnold was named athlete of the meet with wins in the 100-meter dash in a time of 11.36 seconds, the 200 in 23.44 and as part of the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.
Senior Tyler Speer also had wins in the 110-meter high hurdles (17.01) and the 300 intermediate hurdles (44.17). Both were career-best times. He was also on the winning 400 relay team.
Other winners for the Royals were Cayden Sotelo in the 800 and Conner Knudson in the shot put.
Eastern Hancock’s second-place finishers included: Ashton Smith in the 400, Kain Sotelo in the 300 hurdles and Daniel Campbell in the 800 and on the 3,200 relay team.
