New Palestine High School

As one of the premier programs in Indiana, the New Palestine softball team doesn't often get a chance to mark a program first. Thursday evening, the Dragons did just that, beating Greenfield-Central 10-4 to win the Pendleton Heights sectional and claim the first 4A sectional title in the program's history. It is the Dragons' 15th title overall and first since 2019. Much as they did in Wednesday's 9-0 semifinal victory over Pendleton Heights, the Dragons pounced early, added to the lead and never allowed the Cougars within striking distance, as they took a 3-0 lead in the opening inning, one of a trio of three-run innings produced by the Dragons' bats. Jersi Gross led the game off with a single, followed by a long double to right by Allie Blum. Paige Ernstes' sacrifice fly plated the first run, while Sydney Oliver continued her scorching hitting iwth a triple to left, scoring the second run. Oliver then came home on a wild pitch to put the Dragons up 3-0. The Dragons were retired quietly in the second, but quickly added to the lead in the third. Blum walked, stole second, went to third on an error and scored on Oliver's infield hit to make it a 4-0 game. G-C threatened in the fourth, with back-to-back one-out singles putting two runners on. They were bunted into scoring position, but starter Courtney Study induced a groundout to end the threat. After stranding two runners in the bottom of the fourth, the Dragons broke through in the fifth. Ernstes was hit by a pitch to get on base. With two outs, Katie Hirschy reached on an infield single. Maddie Engle then lined a run-scoring single to center. That was followed by a two-run single from Reese Rosenbaum to put the Dragons up 7-0. G-C scored twice on four hits in the sixth, but the Dragons again answered. Gross led off with a hit. Blum followed with an RBI triple, and then scored on Ernstes' single. A base hit by Hirschy plated Ernstes and put the Dragons up 10-2. G-C scored twice in the seventh, but left two runners in scoring position to end the game and clinch the Dragons' sectional title. Study (14-2) went the distance, allowing 10 hits, two earned runs and striking out four. The Dragons' 12-hit attack was led by Blum, who was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, three runs and an RBI. Gross was 2-for-4 and scored twice. Oliver was 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and two RBI. Hirschy was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Ernstes was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Engle was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Rosenbaum was 1-for-3 with two RBI, while Nyla Lewis was 1-for-3. The Dragons (22-4) advance to Tuesday's regional, which will be played at either Lawrence North or Cathedral. Those two schools will contest the sectional title at Lawrence Central Friday.