New Palestine High School

The New Palestine baseball team won its second straight regional title Saturday, beating Cathedral 6-5 in the Jasper regional. The Dragons used a five-run fourth inning to take the lead, then added the winning run in the fifth on Gavin Neal's sacrifice fly, Jacob Morris shut the Irish down in relief down the stretch to nail down the win. Michael Thorpe mowed through the Irish in the first three innings, but Cathedral broke through in the fourth with a two-out two-run single to take the lead. It was short-lived. Wyatt Mathies hit a one-out single in the bottom of the fifth. After Henry Thorpe bunted him into scoring position, Gavin Neal singled to put runners on the corners. Adam Rickey followed with an RBI single to left. After Nic Deering reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases, Morris put the Dragons on top with a two-run single up the middle. Jackson Kamp followed with a two-run single to put NP up 5-2. Cathedral answered with three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Morris came on in relief with two runners on and one out and pitched out of the jam, allowing one of the inherited runners to score. But the Dragons had an answer. Ben Hirschy and Mathies were both hit by pitches on the first three throws of the inning, chasing Cathedral's starter. The two runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. There, Neal hit the first pitch he saw to deep center. Hirschy came home to score to put the Dragons up 6-5. Morris pitched around a one-out walk in the sixth, then the Irish had two singles in the seventh. Morris induced two popouts to end the game and deliver a regional title. Morris pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one to earn the win. Thopre allowed nine hits and three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, fanning one. Morris led the Dragons' eight-hit attack, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Mathies was 2-for-2 with a run. Rickey was 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Deering was 1-for-4 with a run. Kamp was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Neal was 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. The Dragons (25-5) advance to face Mooresville in Saturday's semistate. The time and location will be announced Tuesday.