New Palestine High School

The New Palestine baseball team used a five-run third inning Monday to take the lead for good and held on for an 8-6 victory over host Scecina. Jacob Morris doubled twice and drove in four runs for the Dragons, who improved to 18-5 on the season. Henry Thorpe earned the win on the mound, allowing five earned runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three. Adam Rickey pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief and struck out two for the save. Morris was 3-for-5 with four RBI. Gavin Neal and Ben Hirschy both went 3-for-4 with an RBI each. They led a 14-hit attack. Rickey was 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Nic Deering and Jackson Kamp were each 1-for-4 with a run. Michael Thorpe was 1-for-3 with a run. Jace Jaques was 1-for-1. The Dragons scored in the first when Rickey was hit by a pitch and scored on Morris' double. Scecina answered in the second to tie the game. In the third, the Dragons plated five, as Michael Thorpe, Rickey and Deering led off with consecutive singles to load the bases. Morris cleared the bases with a three-run double to center. Kamp followed with the Dragons' fifth consecutive hit. Morris was thrown out at home trying to score on Rigg Mahurin's grounder to short, but Kamp moved to third on the play. Hirschy singled him home, then Neal's bunt single plated Mahurin to put the Dragons up 6-1. Scecina plated three runs in the bottom of the third on two hit batters, a walk and a single. The Dragons extended the lead to 7-4 in the fifth as Hirschy reached on an infield hit. A walk and a bunt single by Neal loaded the bases. Rickey was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to plate a run, but a strikeout ended the threat. Scecina drew a run back in the bottom of the frame, and closed to 7-6 with another run in the sixth. In the seventh, Hirschy led off with a single. Two more singles loaded the bases, and a wild pitch brought Hirschy home. Rickey threw a perfect bottom of the inning - finishing the game with two strikeouts - to seal the victory. The Dragons are next in action Tuesday, as they begin their final conference series of the season at home against New Castle. NewPalRadio.com will broadcast.