INDIANAPOLIS — The opportunities were there Friday night at Brunette Park, but the New Palestine Dragons just couldn’t find a way to capitalize.
Down 4-0 after two innings, the Dragons earned back-to-back chances to breakout in both the top of the third and fourth, but the New Palestine offense sputtered in the clutch and the price proved steep en route to a 10-2 road loss at Class 4A Cathedral.
“The difference, in a close ball game, and it was close because the score is deceptive, was they got four or five RBI with two outs. And we did not get any hits tonight with two outs,” New Palestine head coach Shawn Lyons said. “That’s the difference of the ball game.”
The frustration was evident for Lyons and the Dragons, who dropped to 10-13 on the season after losing their fourth in five games.
Cathedral (15-3-2) plated a pair of runs in both the bottom of the first and second on a pair of RBI hits and one error, but the Dragons hung close as junior starter Maddox Manes buckled down to limit Cathedral to four hits through the first four frames.
Manes last 5.0 innings, struck out six, walked two and allowed seven hits total, but suffered the tough loss as the Irish scored seven runs on four RBI knocks and two errors.
“He battled the whole game. Props to him for doing that because after the first he could have stayed down, but he went out there and gave it his all. We just didn’t help him with the bats,” New Palestine senior Brendan Tabor said.
The Irish provided left-handed starter Reece Koehler ample run support led by Wright State recruit Chris Gallagher (3-for-3) and Louisville commit Camden Jordan (1-for-3) in the one-two holes.
Gallagher reached base four times with a first-inning double, a two-run single with two outs in the second that put Cathedral ahead 4-0, and a lead-off single in the fifth. He also walked to load the bases in the sixth.
Jordan swiped three bases to give him 33 on the season and scored a run, along with Gallagher in the first inning after reaching base with a walk.
Gallagher reached home from third base in the first inning for the first run on a throwing error during an attempted pick-off to get Jordan at second base.
Jordan stole third a few pitches later before a deep sacrifice fly to center field by freshman J.T. Stiner (two sacrifice RBI) brought him home for a 2-0 lead.
Maddox retired four straight after Gallagher’s second-inning, two-run single with two outs, but the Dragons left nine runners on base overall and five in scoring position between the top of the second through the fourth with the game still within reach.
In the top of the second, Tabor led off with a double against Koehler, who walked six and struck out five in 5.0 innings. A walk by Wes Stiller put two on base before a fielder’s choice by Blaine Nunnally led to a force out at third base against Tabor.
A two-out walk by Caleb Davis loaded the bases before another fielder’s choice ended the threat.
In the third inning, the Dragons had Manes on second base and Tabor, who went 2-for-4, on first with two outs, but Koehler escaped with a strikeout.
In recent weeks, the Dragons have battled with inconsistency in high-pressure situations, Lyons remarked, much like in Jasper last weekend during the Hall of Fame Classic where New Palestine won one of three contests.
“We’re talented enough that if we make routine plays, throw strikes and get timely hitting, then we can compete with anybody,” Lyons said. “We played Jasper last Saturday, and they’re top ten and these guys are top ten. We were up against Jasper, but like today, we didn’t get a big hit.”
The breakthrough alluded the Dragons in the top of the fourth during what could have been a momentum-swinging frame.
Nunnally opened with a walk and Davis and Reise Quillen followed suit after a Koehler strikeout. Carter Stogsdill drew a one-out, bases loaded walk for an RBI to bring home Nunnally and a fielding error scored Davis to cut the deficit 4-2.
The Dragons loaded the bases five times against Cathedral in the game.
“We only had three hits. Again, if we get a two-out hit or even put the ball in play with bases loaded, it’s 4-3. We had them concerned because in the fourth inning, they had their ace up, and he came in and threw,” Lyons said. “We had bases loaded and one out, and our three and four hitters, and we didn’t score a run. It was a 4-2 ball game.”
Instead, the Dragons let Koehler off the hook with a strikeout and a ground out by Tabor to halt the potential game-tying rally in the fourth.
“It’s especially frustrating since I got the third out, but it happens. You can’t win them all, but we have to, as a team, me included, we have to capitalize more on those because that’s what’s really getting us in the end,” Tabor said.
Koehler worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth, and Gallagher pitched the final two frames for Cathedral, striking out three and walking one without allowing a hit.
The Irish plated six more runs with three in each the bottom of the fifth and sixth to put the game away.
Koehler drove in a run with a one-out double in the fifth, David Ayers added a two-out, RBI single and a Dragons error led to another run with two outs.
In the sixth, the Irish padded the lead behind Jordan’s two-run single and Stiner’s second sacrifice. Andrew Davey finished 2-for-2 for the Irish, connecting for a double during Cathedral’s nine-hit attack.
New Palestine had three hits in the second and third innings but nothing afterwards despite drawing five walks in the last four frames.
“We’ve been preaching that all year. I don’t know if it’s the more we preach the worse they do, but it’s something I’m not used to seeing being around New Palestine baseball as long as I have,” Lyons said. “We’ve always had guys that step up. It’s not what you hit it’s when you hit.”
The Dragons have six more games over the next seven days to iron out their woes with Connersville on the road today, two more away contests and three home games, including the regular-season finale against Delta on Saturday, May 22.
“It certainly is (frustrating). This is not acceptable for our program,” Lyons said. “They have to grow into that and we’re running out of time. We have one week left. If I had to take one positive away, it’s Maddox pitched well. He controlled them for four or five innings.”
The Dragons’ hitters know it’s their turn to do the same.
“We’re right there, we just have to find it and put it together, but we’re right there. It’s coming close,” Tabor said.
