New Palestine High School

The New Palestine baseball team scored two runs in four consecutive innings Thursday, pulling away from Delta in an 8-2 home victory. Wyatt Mathies capped the game with a two-run homer in the fifth, but the Dragons were efficient at the plate, with three sacrifice flies and a squeeze bunt all plating runs. Eight of the Dragons' 11 baserunners scored. The Dragons took a 2-0 lead in the third without a hit, drawing three walks to open the inning. Mathies hit a deep sacrifice fly to center, followed by a perfectly-laid safety squeeze by Gavin Neal. Delta responded in the top of the third with a walk and a single to lead off the inning. With two outs, a two-run single tied the game, but would be the Eagles' only offense. The Dragons played longball in the third - delivering two of their four extra-base hits on back-to-back pitches. Adam Rickey led off with a ground-rule double to deep center. Nic Deering followed by blasting a triple that one-hopped the fence in the left-centerfield gap. Deering then scored on Jacob Morris' sacrifice fly to put NP up 4-2. In the fourth, the Dragons extended the lead to 6-2 when Mathies walked and Neal chopped a single to left. Michael Thorpe bunted them into scoring position. A wild pitch brought Mathies home, while Neal scored on Deering's sac fly to left. In the fifth, Ben Hirschy hit a two-out double, setting the stage for Mathies' long homer to left on the next pitch. The Dragons had six hits in the game. Mathies was 1-for-1 with two runs, a homer and three RBI. Deering was 1-for-3 with a triple, a run and two RBI. Rickey was 1-for-3 with a run. Rigg Mahurin was 1-for-2 with a run. Hirschy was 1-for-2 with a double and a run. Neal was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Mahurin pitched an excellent game, striking out eight and scattering four hits for a complete-game victory, improving his record to 3-1. The Dragons are next in action Friday at home against Fishers.