New Palestine High School

Kingston Hedges hit his first varsity homer and Ethan Nunnally drove in two runs to lead the New Palestine baseball team to a 5-2 victory over Delta Tuesday afternoon. The Class 3A No. 6 Dragons, who have now won 10 straight games, are 14-2 on the season and 7-2 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play. Coupled with Pendleton Heights' loss Tuesday, the Dragons moved into a first-place tie with PH in the HHC standings. Rigg Mahurin (4-1) pitched a complete-game victory, as he scattered six hits, two earned runs and struck out 11 Eagles - including the last three batters he faced. Hedges got things started when he turned on a pitch and hammered it out of the park in right for his first career homer. Delta responded with a run on two hits in the top of the third, but the tie would be short-lived. With one out, the Dragons loaded the bases when Gavin Neal was hit by a pitch, Jacob Morris roped a sharp single up the middle and Jackson Kamp drew a walk. Hedges stepped in and hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to plate Neal and put the Dragons up 2-1. The next batter, Nunnally, lined a triple to left, plating two more runs. Delta again drew a run back in the fifth, taking advantage of a walk and a base hit to put runners on the corners. The Eagles executed a perfect double-steal to cut the lead to 4-2. But the Dragons handed the Eagles a taste of their own medicine in the bottom of the frame, as Kamp and Hedges led off with back-to-back hits, putting runners on the corners. An unsuccessful bunt saw Hedges get thrown out at second, but pinch-runner Max Newkirk came on at first base. On a 1-1 pitch, Newkirk took off for second and drew a throw. Kamp broke for home and beat the return throw to put the Dragons up 5-2. Mahurin was cruising from there. He retired the Eagles in order in the sixth, and then after surrendering an infield hit to lead off the seventh, struck out the next three batters to end the game. Both teams had six hits. Hedges was 2-for-2 with a solo homer and two RBI. Morris was 2-for-3 with a run. Nunnally was 1-for-3 with a two-run triple. Kamp was 1-for-2 with two runs. The two teams play the rematch Wednesday at Delta.