New Palestine High School

The New Palestine softball team swept a Saturday trip to Jennings County in a three-team doubleheader. The Dragons beat Columbus North 13-3 in six innings in the day's first game, then beat Jennings County 5-2 in the second game. The Dragons' record improved to 14-5 with the two victories. Against Columbus North, the Dragons jumped ahead 9-1 after two innings and cruised to the victory. Cailyn Hurst earned the win in the circle, scattering six hits and allowing one earned run while striking out two. Ava Lapenta struck out one in two scoreless, hitless innings of relief. At the plate, Claire Fitzgerald was 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI. Morgan Hutchinson was also 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Callie Cromwell was 2-for-4 with two RBI to lead a 15-hit attack. Payton Dye (1-3, 2B, R), Saydie Miller (1-2, 3R, RBI), Cara Steele (1-4, RBI), Kenna Tweedy (1-2, 2B, 2 RBI), Tessa Mohr (1-2, 2B, RBI), Ella Archer (1-1, RBI) and Lapentaq (1-1, R) all had hits. A five-run first kicked the game off. Amber Hurt drew a bases-loaded walk, Fitzgerald singled in a run, an error brought home another and Tweedy walloped a two-run double. The Dragons extended their lead to 9-1 in the second, loading the bases for the second straight inning. Fitzgerald and Cromwell delivered back-to-back two-run singles. The Bull Dogs cut the lead to 9-3 in the next two innings, but the Dragons responded when Miller singled and scored on Steele's hit in the bottom of the fourth. Hutchinson singled and scored on Miller's grounder in the fifth. The Dragons ended the game in the sixth on Mohr's two-run double. In the second game, the Dragons surrendered two runs in the first, then quickly responded with a four-run second and rode Sadey Hughbanks' right arm and some solid defense to the 5-2 win over the host Panthers. Hughbanks pitched a complete-game victory, scattering eight hits, two earned runs and striking out five. Cromwell had her second multi-hit game of the day, going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and a run. Lyndsay Goodin was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Miller was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Dye was 1-for-3 with an RBI double. Fitzgerald went 1-4 with a run. Tweedy was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. The Dragons' big inning came in the second. Fitzgerald and Cromwell hit one-out doubles to put two runners in scoring position. Goodin followed with a two-run double to tie the game. Tweedy and Miller later delivered run-scoring singles to extend the lead to 4-2. JC's best chance to claw back came in the fourth, when the Panthers loaded the bases with one out on a single, error and walk. But Hughbanks punched out the next hitter and induced a grounder to short to end the frame without any runs. The Panthers would have one baserunner the rest of the game - a two-out double in the fifth - as Hughbanks retired 11 of the last 12 hitters she faced. The Dragons extended their lead in the sixth as Dye's double delivered a run after a leadoff single by Goodin. The Dragons are next in action Wednesday against Fishers, kicking off a four-game homestand.