New Palestine head coach Ed Marcum during their game earlier this season against Mt. Vernon. On Saturday, Marcum won his 500th career game as the Dragons head softball coach.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
Veteran New Palestine softball head coach Ed Marcum picked up the 500th and 501st victories of his 20-year coaching career with a doubleheader sweep at Jennings County Saturday.
This year’s team, ranked No. 3 in the Class 4A Softball Coaches of Indiana poll, improved to 14-1 with 13-1 and 15-0 victories.
In the 13-1 triumph, the Dragons scored at least one run in every inning. The team hit five home runs. Katie Hirschy hit two and Allie Blum, Paige Ernstes and Reese Rosenbaum each hit one.
Sydney Oliver had three hits, including a triple, and four RBI. Blum also had a pair of doubles and went 3-for-3 with three runs scored.
Courtney Study and Sadey Hughbanks combined for a three-hitter. Study threw the first four, of six innings, and struck out two. Hughbanks struck out three in two innings of relief.
In the 15-0 win, again, the Dragons scored in every inning.
The team had 18 hits. Payton Dye and Ernstes hit home runs.
Ernstes went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBI. Oliver drove four in for the second straight game. She had three hits with a double. Blum had three hits, including a double, three runs scored and two RBI. Jersi Gross had two hits, including a double, and scored two runs.
Cailyn Hurst and Hughbanks combined for a three-hitter. Hurst threw four innings and struck out five.
Cougars win conference game
Greenfield-Central picked up a 10-1 Hoosier Heritage Conference victory over visiting New Castle Saturday.
The Cougars are 2-3 in the conference and 10-6 overall.
Savvanna Riall went 3-for-4, with a single, double, and triple, scored two runs, and had three RBI.
LeiLeanna Faitele hit her first home run of the season, a two-run shot, and had three RBI. Allison Hornaday was 2-for-2, Charlotte Riehle had a hit and an RBI to increase her team leading RBI total to 25 for the season. Leilani Forshey added two RBI.
Addi Heacox picked up the win allowing three hits and one earned run. She had eight strikeouts and no walks.
Baseball
Cougars beat No. 3 McCutcheon
Greenfield-Central (9-8) knocked off Class 4A No. 3 McCutcheon (15-2) 11-4 at home Saturday.
Landon Brooks had a pair of hits, including a double, and two RBI. Jacob Welch had two hits and two RBI. Kirk Knecht had two hits with a double and an RBI. Zander Cobb drove in two and had one hit. Gavin Markus and Brady Johnson each had an RBI.
Luke Sitzman and Kyle Oden both had one hit and one run scored.
Kaden Snodgrass threw five innings to pick up the win. He had seven strikeouts.
Dragons win on Senior Day
New Palestine improved to 16-3 on the season with a 10-2 Senior Day victory over visiting Connersville Saturday.
Senior Henry Thorpe threw six innings and gave up just one earned run and struck out five. He also had two hits and an RBI. Senior Ben Hirschy struck out one in an inning of relief, he contributed two hits and and RBI.
Senior Adam Rickey scored three runs and classmate Jace Jaques had a hit and two RBI.
Jesse Isaacs had a double and an RBI. Gavin Neal scored two runs and Trase Quillen stole two bases.
Eastern beats Cowan
In a Mid-Eastern Conference baseball matchup at home Thursday, Eastern Hancock edged Cowan 3-2.
The Royals improved to 8-9 overall and 4-2 in the MEC. Cowan dropped to 7-9 and 3-3.
The Royals scored twice in the first inning and added a run in the third.
Chase Stewart threw a four-hitter and struck out five.
Carson Borden had a double, stolen base and scored two runs. Gavin Jenkins had a double and an RBI.
On Saturday, the Royals dropped a doubleheader to Heritage Christian, losing 12-2 and 20-5.
In the 12-2 contest, Brayden Sullivan had a solo home run. Borden had a hit and an RBI. Jenkins had a hit and a stolen base.
In the 20-5 game, Stewart had a hit and an RBI. Hayden Rouse and Sullivan also had an RBI each.
Boys Track and Field
Mt. Vernon wins Cougar Chase
At Greenfield-Central High School Friday, Mt. Vernon’s boys track and field team won the eight-team Cougar Chase.
The Marauders were first and Greenfield-Central placed third.
Mt. Vernon scored 156 points. G-C finished with 116, four points behind second-place Roncalli. Greenwood scored 106.
Mt. Vernon senior Andres Langston won the 110-meter (14.73 seconds) and 300-meter (37.97) hurdle races. Sawyer Ruminer won the pole vault (14-feet, 3-inches) and Zaidyn Ramsey was first in the long jump (21-feet, 11 3/4 inches). The Marauders also picked up a win in the 4×200-meter relay (1:29.41).
Greenfield-Central got victories from Kirk Knecht in the 200-meter dash (22.6) and Elliot Ryba in the high jump (6-6).
Girls tennis
Dragons beat Bears
New Palestine’s girls tennis team defeated Hoosier Heritage Conference foe Shelbyville 5-0 Friday in Shelbyville.
The Dragons swept through singles play in straight sets.
Kaitlyn Mitchell won at No. 1 singles 6-1, 6-4. Bethany Blachly was victorious at No. 2 singles 7-5, 6-2. Maizy Haynes made quick work at No. 3 singles 6-0, 6-0.
Coming from behind the No. 1 doubles team of Josephine Harvey/Emily Appleby won 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4. The No. 2 team of Amelia Schneider/Riley Watts won 6-3, 6-3.
New Palestine improved to 4-1 in HHC matches and 7-2 overall.
Girls Track and Field
G-C places fourth at Cougar Chase
Greenfield-Central’s girls track and field team finished fourth of seven teams at Friday’s Cougar Chase at Greenfield-Central High School.
Franklin won with 183.5 points. Greenwood was second with 112. G-C scored 102, just 4.5 points behind third-place Roncalli.
The Cougars’ lone win came in the 3200-meter run. Freshman Josie Kinnaman won with a time of 11-minutes, 22.57 seconds.
Boys golf
Cougars finish third at Delta
In the Delta Invitational on the same course the team will play this weekend in the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament, Greenfield-Central’s boys golf team shot a 328 to place third at Albany Golf Course.
Tyler Young led the team with a 75. Corbin Elliott had an 80 and Avery Young carded an 82. Andrew Munden finished with a 91 and Jon Smith shot 98.
Marauders 3rd, Dragons 4th at Batesville
At the 13-team Batesville Invitational, Mt. Vernon’s boys golf team finished third and New Palestine tied for fourth.
Corydon Central won with a 307. Mt. Vernon shot 323 and New Pal finished with a 329.
The Marauders were led by Elijah Lemmon with a 75. Owen Daugherty finished with an 82. Jace Lugar and Asher Cotton each shot 83s. Drew Lowder had an 87.
For New Palestine, Luke Cofer led the Dragons with an 80. Ty Mitchell followed with an 82. Joey McPike scored 83. Nick Barada and Jackson Clark had an 84 and 100, respectively.
