New Palestine High School

Jacob Morris and Gavin Neal combined on a two-hit shutout Wednesday, leading the New Palestine baseball team to a 3-0 victory over Pendleton Heights at home. The Dragons improved to 14-8 with the victory and 6-5 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play. The two teams split their series, with the host team winning each game. Morris (4-1) pitched five shutout innings to earn the victory. He allowed two hits - a one-out single in the first, whom he immediately picked off first, and a leadoff double in the fifth. He walked four and struck out three. Neal pitched two perfect innings to record his fourth save of the season, fanning two. The Dragons played spectacular infield defense behind them, with multiple outstanding plays made by all four infielders. The Dragons had six hits, with Neal going 2-for-4. Marshall Giant and Isaac Gauthier were each 1-for-3 with an RBI. Haydon Mills and Mason Monnier were each 1-for-2. The Dragons had a chance to strike first in the second, when Mills' single and a walk to Workman put two runners on. Monnier grounded a single into right, but a perfect throw home led to an out, and the Arabians escaped the jam. But in the third, the Dragons broke through. Brogan Reveles was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a well-executed hit-and-run single by Neal. Morris followed by grounding into a 6-3 doubleplay, which plated Reveles with the game's first run. In the fourth, Morris faced his only real jam of the day, walking three consecutive batters with two out. Kingston Hedges made a strong play on a grounder to second to end the frame. The Dragons added another run in the fourth, when Mills and Mason Monnier were each hit by pitches. Gauthier lined a single to right, plating pinch-runner Max Newkirk to extend the edge to 2-0. After Morris pitched around a leadoff double in the fifth, the Dragons added a third run in the bottom of the frame, as Neal singled. Pinch-runner Ajay Kropp moved to second after a walk to Hedges and scored on Giant's single to left. Neal came on in relief and retired all six Arabians he faced to nail the game down. The Dragons are off until Monday, when they travel to Scecina to begin a final week that features four games in five days.