Mt. Vernon head coach Brad King talks with Cam Sullivan during a game earlier this season. Sullivan was the winning pitcher and hit a home run in Tuesday’s win over Pendleton Heights.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Staff report
With Tuesday’s 9-1 victory over visiting Pendleton Heights, coupled with Greenfield-Central’s loss to New Palestine, Mt. Vernon has a two-game lead, in the loss column, in the Hoosier Heritage Conference baseball standings.
At 7-0, halfway through the 14-game HHC schedule, Mt. Vernon has a one-game lead, overall, and two-game lead in the loss column over Yorktown (7-2) and a full two-game lead over G-C (5-2).
Yorktown and Delta have both played nine league games. Pendleton Heights is 4-3 in conference play and New Palestine is 3-4.
On Tuesday, Mt. Vernon scored all of its runs in two innings.
With two second-inning home runs, one each from Cam Sullivan and Nick Heitman, Mt. Vernon scored four times to take a 4-1 lead. Five more runs were scored in the sixth inning.
Sullivan was stellar on the mound, too. In six innings, he struck out 11, gave up six hits, walked one and gave up just one earned run. Jack Peine threw the seventh and fanned two.
Heitman, and Joseph Wilson each had two hits. Heitman had four RBIs. Sullivan drove in three. Heitman and Drew Buckshot each hit a double. Wilson scored two runs.
Overall, the Marauders are 12-2 on the season. They’ll travel to Pendleton Heights today for game 2 of the HHC two-game series.
Royals pick up MEC win
With a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Eastern Hancock defeated Daleville 6-5 in a Mid-Eastern Conference baseball game at Eastern Hancock High School Tuesday.
Daleville (6-5, 3-2) had tied the game with a three-run top of the sixth.
Chase Stewart went 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs scored and an RBI. Carson Borden had a double and an RBI. Caleb Retherford had an RBI.
Stewart and Borden shared duties on the mound. Stewart went five inning and fanned four. Borden struck out four in two innings of work.
Eastern Hancock improved to 4-8 on the season and 2-4 in the MEC.
The Royals travel to Randolph Southern Thursday.
Softball
Dragons have 14-run inning
With a 14-run fifth inning, the New Palestine softball team put away its Hoosier Heritage Conference game at New Castle Tuesday en route to a 21-2 victory.
Allie Blum went 4-for-5 with a triple, home run and five RBIs. Aglaia Rudd was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Ella Holman had two hits, including a home run. Reese Rosenbaum had a pair of hits, including a double.
The Dragons pounded out 16 hits.
In the circle, New Palestine got combined efforts from freshmen Kenna Tweedy and Sadey Hughbanks.
Hughbanks, in 2 2/3 innings pitched, did not give up a hit and struck out three.
The Dragons are 9-2 overall and 3-0 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference. New Castle dropped to 2-9 and 1-3.
Ranked No. 11 in the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana Class 4A poll, the Dragons play host to No. 1 Center Grove today.
On Thursday, in a battle of 3-0 HHC teams, New Palestine will take on Shelbyville, at home.
G-C hammers Delta in HHC opener
In its first Hoosier Heritage Conference softball game of the season, Greenfield-Central left little to doubt in a 27-10 win over Delta Tuesday.
The Cougars scored 11 first-inning runs and had at least five runs in each of their four at-bats.
They are 8-3 overall and 1-0 in the HHC. There are three unbeaten teams in league play. New Palestine and Shelbyville are both 3-0.
Against Delta Tuesday, the Cougars hit seven home runs.
Camille Burelison and Oliva Roberts hit two apiece. Faith Butler, Savvanna Riall and Leilani Forshey also had homers. Burelison and Roberts had eight RBIs each.
Burelison went 5-for-5 and added two doubles. Forshey was 4-for-4.
The Cougars had 24 hits, 12 for extra bases.
Greenfield-Central hosts Yorktown in another HHC game today.
No. 6 Royals win again
Ranked No. 6 in Class 2A in the Softball Coaches Association of Indiana Class 2A poll, Eastern Hancock improved its overall record to 10-2, and Mid-Eastern Conference mark to 5-0, with a 15-1 win over visiting Daleville Tuesday.
Eastern Hancock got home runs from Emily Hodges and Sammie Bolding. Bolding, Lilli Ringer and Cameron Spegal hit doubles.
Kaylee Kline went 3-for-3 with three RBIs. Bolding also drove in three runs. Ringer had two hits and two RBIs.
The combined pitching efforts of Madison Stephens and Tatem Adams struck out 10 and gave up just three hits and no earned runs.
Eastern Hancock travels to Northeastern today.
Mt. Vernon gets to .500
With a 7-3 victory over Lapel, at Mt. Vernon High School, the Mt. Vernon softball team evened its record to 7-7 Tuesday.
After leading 2-0 early, the Marauders had to come from behind. They scored five runs in the sixth inning.
Easton Wampler and Shelby Rakosky had home runs. Amya Gary, Lexi Beeler and Emma Jenkins all hit doubles. Wampler and Gary had two RBIs each. Rakosky went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Winning pitcher Tori Jenson struck out four and gave up two earned runs.
The Marauders take on Fishers, at home, Thursday.
Boys golf
Mt. Vernon beats G-C
Nils Erkmanis shot a 36 to lead Mt. Vernon’s boys golf team to a 159-173 victory over Greenfield-Central at Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield Golf Course Monday.
Asher Cotton and Jace Lugar each shot 40s for the Marauders. Aaron Arkenau added a 43.
For Greenfield-Central, Josh Alley and Tyler Young each had 41s.
On Tuesday, G-C shot a 167, led by Young with a 40, to defeat Rushville.
Mt. Vernon is scheduled to play Hamilton Southeastern and Lawrence North at Hawk’s Tail on Thursday.
Greenfield-Central’s next scheduled match is the Hancock County Tournament, Wednesday, May 3, at Hawk’s Tail.
Royals beat BRV, Union
Eastern Hancock shot a 194 Tuesday to beat Union (Modoc) and Blue River Valley at Blue River.
Corey Leece led the Royals with a 46. Jacob Jackson and Ronnie Johnson both carded 49s. Parker Atkins shot a 50.
The Royals travel to Cambridge City Lincoln Thursday.
