New Palestine High School

The New Palestine softball team won a back-and-forth 12-6 road victory over Avon Thursday afternoon. In a game that featured a pair of lead changes, the Dragons scored six runs in the final two innings - including five in the seventh - to claim the victory. Claire Fitzgerald led a 12-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a homer and four RBI. Her three-run homer in the third inning gave the Dragons a lead, which they'd eventually build to 6-3 before Avon rallied in the fifth to tie the game. Lyndsay Goodin was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBI. Kenna Tweedy also had multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Sadey Hughbanks was 1-4. Saydie Miller was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Amber Hurt was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, while Tessa Mohr was 1-for-1 with a double and two runs scored. Payton Dye also walked four times and scored three. Hughbanks pitched a complete-game victory, allowing five earned runs and 10 hits over seven innings. She struck out five. The Dragons fell behind 2-0 on two Avon hits in the first, but rallied in the third. Goodin's one-out solo homer got the Dragons on the board. After a walk to Dye and an error, Fitzgerald hit a three-run, two-out homer to left to put the Dragons on top 4-2. Avon got a run back in the bottom of the inning, but the Dragons added two more in the bottom. Hughbanks drew a leadoff walk, but the next two batters were retired. Goodin singled to keep the inning alive. Dye, Miller and Hurt then drew consecutive walks to force in two runs. After stranding two runners in the top of the fifth, Avon tied the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the frame on three hits and an error to plate three runs. The Dragons responded in the bottom of the inning. Dye drew a leadoff walk and scored on Tweedy's two-out single. They broke the game open in the seventh. Mohr hit a leadoff double and scored on Goodin's single. Back-to-back singles drove in a run. Fitzgerald singled into center to plate a run, and a fielding error brought home another. Tweedy then followed with an RBI hit to make it a 12-6 game. Hughbanks then pitched around a pair of two-out hits in the bottom of the frame to nail down the victory. The Dragons are now 2-0 on the season. They open their home schedule Friday against Plainfield.