New Palestine High School

The New Palestine baseball team dropped a wild 10-9 nine-inning game to No. 9 Shelbyville in Saturday's Class 3A Roncalli sectional semifinal. The Golden Bears scored the winning run without a hit in the final inning - taking advantage of a walk, hit batter and a fielding error that allowed a runner to score from second. The Dragons built a 9-1 lead in the middle of the third, but Shelbyville was able to claw back by taking advantage of four Dragons errors, nine walks and two hit batters. The Dragons pounced quickly, scoring four runs in the first. Kingston Hedges, Jacob Morris and Marshall Giant had back-to-back one-out singles to plate a run. After a hit batter loaded the bases, Isaac Gauthier and Mason Monnier both drew back-to-back walks to force in runs. Haydon Mills then drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Shelbyville got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a pair of hits, but the Dragons quickly got it back in the second. Gavin Neal was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Hedges forced him at second, then moved into scoring position on Morris' single and scored on a bloop single by Liam Atkinson. The Dragons chased Shelbyville starter Reece Prickett after two innings, and greeted reliever Gavin Reed with a big third. Monnier led off with a single and Mills walked. Colin Workman bunted them both into scoring position. Neal's sacrifice fly plated one run. Hedges followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Morris then roped an RBI single up the middle. After a base hit by Giant loaded the bases, Atkinson delivered a two-run single to left, extending the lead to 9-1. But the Golden Bears began to mount their comeback in the bottom of the inning. A hit batter, single and walk loaded the bases with one out. A bases-loaded walk forced in one run, and then two errors allowed three more runs to score, cutting the Dragons' lead to 9-5. Austin Martzall took over on the mound for Shelbyville and was masterful, pitching six innings of relief and allowing three baserunners - two hits and a walk. Shelbyville cut the lead to 9-7 in the fourth on a single, error, RBI groundout and another base hit, leading to the Dragons bringing Holden Hughes into the game to relieve Morris. Hughes retired the Golden Bears in order in the fifth, and pitched around a one-out double and two walks to leave the bases loaded in the sixth. But the Golden Bears had one more rally left in them. A leadoff walk brought Neal to the mound. He was immediately greeted with a single, but then induced a doubleplay. A run scored, but the Dragons had a 9-8 lead, two outs and the bases empty. Neal quickly got ahead 0-2 on Martzall, but after a ball, Martzall fouled off six consecutive two-strike pitches before lining a single into right. The next batter, Aiden Smith, laced a double into the leftfield corner. The Dragons got the ball back in quickly - Morris fired a strike on the relay home, but Martzall beat the tag to tie the game. With the potential winning run on third, the Dragons intentionally walked the next two batters and Neal recorded a strikeout to retire the side. The Dragons were retired in order in the eighth. Neal pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the frame, giving up two singles sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt. An infield grounder loaded the bases, but Neal struck out Martzall and got Smith to ground out to extend the game. Mills had a one-out single in the ninth, but was stranded at second. Both teams had 12 hits. Morris was 3-for-5 with a run and and RBI. Atkinson was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Giant was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI. Hedges was 2-for-5 and scored three times. Neal was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Monnier and Mills were each 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Morris allowed two earned runs - seven total - in 3 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and striking out seven. Hughes allowed one hit and one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief, walking three and fanning five. Neal took the decision, allowing five hits, two runs, walking three and fanning three in 2 1/3 innings. The Dragons finished the season with a 15-10 record.