NEW CASTLE — The Greenfield-Central softball team evened up its Hoosier Heritage Conference record Monday night, defeating host New Castle, 9-3, on the road.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the Class 4A Cougars, who improved to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in the HHC.
Greenfield-Central trailed New Castle 3-2 after three complete innings on Monday before the Cougars’ offense erupted for seven runs through the final two frames behind 10 hits in total.
The Cougars posted five extra-base hits, including a pair of doubles from Ella Redmon, who finished 3-for-4 on the day with two runs scored and two RBI.
Ellie Ewald went 1-for-2 with a double, drew two walks, scored two runs and had two RBI. Mallorie Fultz was 1-for-3 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Megan Wineinger finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a double. Camille Burelison drew two walks in four plate appearances with a run scored.
Caroline Gibson went 1-for-3 with an RBI, Lilly Stewart was 1-for-4 with an RBI and Olivia Roberts drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
Burelison (6-4) earned the complete-game victory, allowing eight hits and two earned runs while walking three and striking out seven.
The Cougars return to the diamond on Thursday when they travel to HHC front-runner 4A No. 1 New Palestine (18-0, 3-0 HHC). First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
Dragons keep streak going
Top-ranked Class 4A New Palestine pushed its winning streak to 18 straight on Monday night, beating No. 18 Franklin Community 5-1.
Katie Kottlowski pitched a complete-game victory for the host Dragons, scattering seven hits and allowing one earned run against the Grizzly Cubs (9-6).
Aglaia Rudd hit a double, triple and drove in three runs to pace the Dragons’ five-hit attack.
Alaina Miller also singled and drove in a run. Kinsey Mitchell and Allie Blum had the Dragons’ other hits to push New Palestine’s season record to 18-0.
The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Mitchell led off with a bunt single and scored on a wild pitch. New Palestine added a run in the third when Miller led off with a walk and scored on Rudd’s triple to right.
The Dragons increased the lead to 5-0 in the fourth. With two outs and none on, Sydney Oliver and Mitchell drew back-to-back walks. Miller plated Oliver with a single to left. Rudd followed with a two-run double to center field.
Franklin hit a homer in the top of the fifth, but the Grizzly Cubs did not advance a runner past first base in the final two innings as Kottlowski and the Dragons’ defense sealed the victory.
The Dragons are next in action at 5:30 p.m. today at home against 3A No. 4 Yorktown. It’s the schools’ first meeting since the 2019 state championship game.
Tennis
Dragons sweep past Edinburgh
The New Palestine girls tennis team improved to 5-3 on the season Monday with a 5-0 sweep of Edinburgh.
The sweep was clinched when Olivia Hasenkamp pulled out a 7-6(7), 7-6(5) victory in a two-and-a-half-hour match at No. 2 singles.
Moments earlier, Abby Blachly finished off a 6-4, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles. Courtney Johnson won 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3. Lucy Miller/Mia Knoop won 6-2, 6-0 and Lily Haeberle/Erica Long won 6-0, 6-0 at doubles.
Golf
Dragons best Marauders in thriller
The New Palestine golf team won a thrilling match Monday against Mt. Vernon at Arrowhead.
Braeden Baker won the match on a playoff hole to win 1-up and give the Dragons a 3-2 victory in a match-play format.
Evan Griffith and A.J. Williams were also winners for the Dragons.
The Dragons and Marauders will meet again today at Hawk’s Tail along with the Greenfield-Central Cougars and Eastern Hancock Royals during the Hancock County meet, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The Dragons beat the Cougars last month in a three-way match with Whiteland on April 14.
Greenfield-Central shot a 181 for second place behind New Palestine at 172. The Cougars were led by freshman Tyler Young’s 41 during the season-opening match.
Young later shot a 45 to lead Greenfield-Central to a three-way match win against Morristown and Anderson on April 20. The Cougars posted a 188.
Baseball
Dragons win second straight
The New Palestine baseball team blasted host Warren Central 15-2 in five innings on Monday night.
Kaiden Kirkwood hit a grand slam and drove in five runs. Wes Stiller also hit a three-run homer for the Dragons, who won their second straight to improve to 7-9 on the season.
Reise Quillen got the win on the mound, allowing four hits and two earned runs in three innings. Hayden Isaacs and Christian Deckard finished the game with two scoreless innings.
Zayden Stiller led the Dragons’ 12-hit attack, going 4-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Carter Stogsdill was 2-for-2 and scored four times.
Luke Legault had two hits. Maddox Manes, Blaine Nunnally and Nolan Cox also had hits for the Dragons.
Stiller’s RBI single plated Stogsdill in the first, but the Dragons exploded in the next two innings. Nunnally and Legault hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the second, leading to two runs.
An error and an RBI single by Zayden Stiller made it a 5-0 contest, while Kirkwood’s RBI fielder’s choice added another run.
In the third, the Dragons staged a two-out rally to plate six runs. With two on, Zayden Stiller singled to center to plate the first run and push the lead to 7-2.
Brendan Tabor later drew a bases-loaded walk and Kirkwood followed with a grand slam to left. Stiller made it a 15-2 game with a three-run homer in the fifth.
Royals fall to Eagles
The Eastern Hancock baseball team lost 12-2 in six innings to host Frankton on Monday night.
The loss dropped the Royals’ season record to 4-10.
The Royals led the game 1-0 after the top of the first before Frankton (9-7) pulled ahead 8-1 in the bottom half en route to the run-rule victory.
Cameron Wise and Caden Hancock drove in a run apiece for the Royals. Hancock, Landon Stanley, Wyatt Sutton, Brandon Ridgway and Griffin Brown each recorded a hit for the Royals. Stanley finished with a triple.
