New Palestine High School

Saydie Miller hit a two-run homer, Cara Steele drove in three runs and Lyndsay Goodin doubled twice Tuesday, leading the New Palestine softball team to a 9-1 victory over Eastern Hancock. The Dragons improved to 4-0 with the victory, which began a five-games-in-five-days stretch. Cailyn Hurst earned the win in the circle, allowing three hits and one run over 4 1/3 innings. She struck out eight. Ava Lapenta finished the game with 2 2/3 innings of perfect relief, striking out four of the eight batters she faced. Miller's homer touched off a six-run third inning that put the Dragons in command. Payton Dye led the inning off with a hit, and Miller then drilled a 2-0 pitch over the leftfield fence. The Dragons kept adding on, as Amber Hurt followed with a single. After a groundout, Goodin doubled Hurt home. After a walk to Kenna Tweedy and a wild pitch, Steele drove in a run with a grounder. Tweedy came home on an error. Morgan Hutchinson then plated Steele with a single to put the Dragons up 8-1. NP conceded the first run in the second, but quickly re-took the lead when Goodin doubled, Tweedy walked and Steele drove in a run with a base hit. Tweedy then scored on a wild pitch. NP added a run in the fourth when Miller walked and scored on Hurt's double to center. The Dragons had eight hits in the contest. Hurt was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI. Goodin was 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI. Steele was 1-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Hutchinson was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Dye was 1-for-4 with a run, and Miller 1-for-3 with two runs and a two-run homer. The Dragons are next in action Wednesday at home against Franklin Central.