Eastern Hancock’s Caroline Stapleton is hit with a pitch during their game against Wapahani on Thursday, April 28, 2022.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
DALEVILLE — The Eastern Hancock softball team went to work quickly Tuesday night, defeating host and Mid-Eastern foe Daleville, 15-0, in five innings.
The Royals scored nine runs in the top of the first and added six more runs over the next three frames to remain a perfect 7-0 in the MEC.
Eastern Hancock (16-4-1) holds a one-game advantage over Cowan (11-8, 6-1) in the MEC standings with a conference game at Wes-Del (15-7, 4-3) tonight.
The Royals posted 18 hits overall with five players recording two or more. EH logged eight extra-base hits.
Caroline Stapleton (2-for-4, RBI), Brooklyn Willis (1-for-1, three runs, RBI) and Grace Stapleton (1-for-1, two RBI) each connected for home runs, while Kaylee Kline (1-for-2), Sydni Bednarski (3-for-3, two runs, three RBI) and Taylor Koch (2-for-3, three runs) had one double apiece.
Emily Hodges (1-for-1, two runs) and Alina Alford (1-for-1, two RBI) finished with a triple each.
Emma Bolding (1-for-3) drove in two runs. Sammie Bolding went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The pitching win went to Madison Stephens, who tossed 2.2 innings with one hit allowed while striking out five. Tatem Adams threw 2.1 innings in relief, surrendering two hits with four strikeouts.
Dragons power past Cougars
The New Palestine softball team hit three home runs to take the lead, then broke the game open in the seventh inning Monday, beating host Greenfield-Central, 15-3, for its sixth consecutive win.
The Hoosier Heritage Conference win improved New Palestine’s league record to 4-2, while dropping Greenfield-Central to 14-6 overall and 3-3 in the HHC.
The Dragons (19-3-1) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Aglalia Rudd hit a two-run homer. They extended their advantage in the fourth on Katie Hirschy’s two-run blast.
Greenfield-Central cut the lead in half with a two-run homer of its own in the bottom of the fifth, but the Dragons responded again, as the first two batters reached to set the table for Allie Blum, who blasted a pitch over the left field fence for a three-run homer, putting the Dragons up 7-2.
After getting out of a two-on, none-out jam in the bottom of the sixth, the Dragons went to work in the seventh, scoring eight runs on five hits.
They loaded the bases on a hit batter, a single by Maddie Engle and a walk to Delaney Barton. Reese Rosenbaum forced in a run with a walk. Alaina Miller drove in two more with a double.
Another run scored on Blum’s groundout. Rudd followed with a run-scoring double. Sydney Hughbanks singled in another run. Grace Paquette then tripled in Hughbanks and then scored on an error.
Alexa Holman picked up the pitching win, allowing five hits and striking out five over six innings. Courtney Study pitched the seventh, allowing one unearned run and no hits.
Blum led the Dragons’ 14-hit attack, going 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs and four RBI. Rudd was 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBI. Hirschy was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI.
Engle was 3-for-4 with a run. Paige Ernstes was 2-for-4 with a run. Miller was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Paquette was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Hughbanks was 1-for-1 with a run and an RBI.
The host Cougars tallied five hits, led by Lilly Stewart’s 1-for-3 night with one run scored, two RBI and a home run. Morgan Hornaday went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Makenna Rankins drove in a run, while Josie White, Ella Redman and Leileanna Faitele each posted singles.
Golf
Dragons beat Lions
The New Palestine golf team posted a 157-183 victory Tuesday at Rushville.
Playing at Antler Pointe, the Dragons were led by co-medalists Landon Beaty and Matthew Barada, who each shot 38s.
Evan Griffith shot 40 and Braeden Baker 41. Gus Walling and Josiah Kissel had the fifth score, each shooting 43s.
