New Palestine High School

The New Palestine softball team threatened often Thursday, but two homeruns - including a two-run blast in the eighth inning - gave Pendleton Heights a 3-2 victory over the Dragons. The Dragons fell to 15-6 on the season and 4-2 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play. In a pitcher's duel, the Dragons took a lead quickly, loading the bases with none out in the first on singles by Morgan Hutchinson and Payton Dye and an error. Amber Hurt's fielder's choice grounder gave the Dragons a 1-0 lead, but a sharp groundout to third and a lineout ended the threat without any more runs scoring. Dragons pitcher Sadey Hughbanks pitched around traffic throughout the game - keeping it scoreless after allowing two two-out hits in the first, and a leadoff single in the third. After the Dragons had two runners on in the fourth, but a doubleplay ended the threat, PH had its best chance in the fifth, after an error and a fielder's choice put runners on second and third with one out. Dye fielded a short grounder and threw a runner out trying to score. A walk loaded the bases, but Hughbanks induced a popout to end the threat. PH broke through with a leadoff homer on the first pitch of the fifth. Kenna Tweedy and Dye singled in the bottom of the inning, but back-to-back groundouts kept the game tied. PH put the leadoff batter on base again in the sixth and seventh, but Hughbanks and the Dragons kept the game tied. In the eighth inning, PH led off with a single and then hit a two-run homer to left to take a 3-1 lead. The Dragons had a response in the bottom of the frame, as Hurt hit a one-out single and moved to third as the ball skipped past the rightfielder. Cara Steele's flyball to the warning track scored a run, but another long flyout to the warning track ended the game. Each team had eight hits. Dye was 2-for-4. Tweedy was 2-for-3 with a walk. Hutchinson was 1-for-4 with a run. Hurt was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Miller and Fitzgerald were both 1-4. The Dragons are next in action Saturday at home against Munster and Crown Point beginning at 11 a.m.