New Palestine High School

3A No. 2 Yorktown used its power Tuesday to break a tie and pull ahead to a 5-2 victory over 3A No. 4 New Palestine in the Dragons' softball conference opener. The Tigers hit three homers in the game, including two in the sixth inning that provided three key insurance runs. Both teams had eight hits, but the Tigers were more opportunistic with theirs. NP had baserunners in its last six at-bats, but stranded eight on the day. The Dragons drew first blood on three hits in the second. Cara Steele, Claire Fitzgerald and Kenna Tweedy all had consecutive singles to plate a run. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat. Yorktown answered in the bottom of the inning, turning a walk and a groundout into a run after a two-out single. A solo homer gave the Tigers a lead in the fourth. The Dragons had one of their best opportunities in the fifth. Lyndsay Goodin led off with a hit and moved to third on Peyton Dye's one-out single. But back-to-back strikeouts again ended the threat. Yorktown hit two homers - including a two-run blast - in the sixth to pull ahead 5-1. The Dragons had a two-out rally in the seventh, as Dye singled and scored on Saydie Miller's double, but the Tigers retired the next batter to end the game. Fitzgerald was 2-for-3 for the Dragons. Tweedy was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Miller went 1-4 with a double and an RBI. Goodin, Dye, Steele and Hutchinson all went 1-for-3, with Dye and Steele scoring runs. Hughbanks went the distance, allowing eight hits and five earned runs over six innings. She struck out eight Tigers. The Dragons are now 7-3 on the season and 0-1 in conference play. They have a day off Wednesday before continuing a nine-games-in-11-days stretch Thursday at Mt. Vernon.