SELMA — The Eastern Hancock softball team continues to add to its legacy with every victory.
On Tuesday, the top-ranked Class 2A Royals defeated Mid-Eastern Conference foe Wapahani, 11-3, on the road and improved to a perfect 5-0 in the league.
In the process, the Royals (17-1) pushed their single-season, record-setting win streak to 17 straight while padding their on-going, single-season home run record further.
Sisters Emma Bolding and Sammie Bolding both went yard for the Royals against Wapahani with the latter becoming the program’s single-season record holder for home runs.
Sammie Bolding’s homer marked her 10th of the season, which bested the previous record of nine set by Savannah Blevins in 2011. The team now has 32 home runs on the year, which has already obliterated the previous mark of 16 set in 2011.
Eastern Hancock posted 14 hits overall in the victory with seven going for extra bases as eight different batters recorded at least one hit.
Brooklyn Willis went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI. Emma Bolding finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Kaylee Kline was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Kaylee Stewart went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, two doubles and a run. Sydni Bednarski was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Caroline Stapleton (1-for-4) scored two runs with an RBI and a triple, which gave her 18 overall in her career. She is now the program’s all-time triple leader surpassing the previous mark of 17.
Sammie Bolding was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Grace Stapleton finished 1-for-3 with two runs. Emily Hodges scored two runs.
The Royals led 8-1 after the fourth inning, which provided starting pitcher Maddie Turner all she needed. The senior ace tossed 7.0 innings with four hits allowed, five walks, three earned runs charged against and nine strikeouts.
Marauders win third straight
The Class 4A No. 17 Mt. Vernon softball team won its third consecutive with a 7-0 victory over visiting Shenandoah on Tuesday.
Freshman Easton Wampler led the Marauders 12-hit attack with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate with four RBI and her sixth home run of the season.
Macey Cox went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, a double and an RBI.
Allison Myers was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Mia Robbins went 2-for-3. Haley Kissee drove in a run with a single. Maddie Taylor and Riley Hasseld also had hits.
Taylor earned the win the circle, pitching 5.0 innings of hitless softball with 14 strikeouts. Molly Buck threw 2.0 innings in relief with one hit allowed and four strikeouts.
Mt. Vernon is now 14-4 on the season.
Cougars fall late to Arabians
The Class 4A Greenfield-Central softball team led early but couldn’t hold on, falling to visiting 4A No. 14 Pendleton Heights, 10-6, on Tuesday night.
The Cougars are now 11-5 on the season and 2-3 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Greenfield-Central carried a 5-2 lead into the fifth inning, but the Arabians (16-5, 3-1 HHC) charged back with eight runs in the final three frames to win.
Offensively, Ellie Ewald led the Cougars, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Megan Wineinger was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Olivia Roberts finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Camille Burelison drove in a run, Caroline Gibson went 1-for-4 with an RBI, Morgan Hornaday was 1-for-3 with a double, Mallorie Fultz was 1-for-3 and Ella Redmon went 1-for-4.
The loss went to Hannah Holden as the Arabians tallied 17 hits overall.
Tennis
Bulldogs beat Royals
The Eastern Hancock girls tennis team lost 4-1 to host Lapel on Monday.
The Royals were returning to the courts after an unexpected layoff due to COVID-19 quarantines.
In their first match back, senior Chloe McCarty scored the team’s lone point with a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) victory at No. 1 singles.
Savanah Hardin lost at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-2, while Julia Faucett battled before falling at No. 3 singles, 6-1, 6-0.
The Royals’ No. 1 doubles team of Tori Parker and Audrey Tice lost 6-4, 6-1. Kayln Edwards and Mikayla Hardy fell at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, 6-1.
Baseball
Tigers slip past Cougars
The Greenfield-Central baseball team lost an extra-inning tussle with visiting Lebanon on Monday night, falling 7-6 in 10 innings.
The Cougars are now 11-6 on the season.
Andrew Zellers tied the game with a two-run, two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cougars weren’t able to find another run later during in the bonus frames.
Zellers finished 1-for-2, while Grant Shepherd went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Joey Roland had two hits (2-for-3) with two runs scored. Kalob Martin was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Brodie Mayberry drove in a run and Conner Sims and Gavin Atwood both had doubles.
Austin Oden went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of doubles.
Golf
Dragons fall to Royals
The New Palestine golf team dropped a 154-190 decision Monday at Hamilton Southeastern.
Braeden Baker led the Dragons with a 45. Matt Barada shot 46, Gus Walling 47 and Sammy Chifalo 52.
The Dragons returned to the links on Tuesday for a three-way road match at Eastern Hancock and Shenandoah.
