New Palestine High School

The New Palestine softball team isn't used to batting first on its home diamond. But when the sectional draw put the second-ranked Dragons as the visiting team in Wednesday's sectional championship game against No. 4 Roncalli, they wanted to make the most out of having the first at-bat. With two outs in the opening inning, Katie Hirschy blasted a pitch over the right-field fence for a no-doubter opposite-field homer, giving the Dragons an early lead they'd never relinquish in a 7-1 victory over Roncalli. The victory delivered the Dragons (26-4) their second consecutive sectional title and 16th overall. They will travel to No. 8 Cascade Tuesday for the regional. Hirschy went 4-for-4 with two homers, three runs and two RBI on the day, helping lead a nine-hit Dragons attack. The team was efficient - leaving only three runners on base during the game. Sadey Hughbanks pitched a complete-game victory, allowing five hits and striking out six. The only run she allowed was a sixth-inning homer to Roncalli slugger Addy Poe. After Hughbanks pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the second, the Dragons broke the game open in the third, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four times to go up 5-0. Saydie Miller led off with a sharp single up the middle. After an out, Jersi Gross hit a line-drive over the centerfielder's head for an RBI triple, and then scored on a wild pitch to make it a 3-0 game. The Dragons reloaded, as Payton Dye walked and moved to second on Hirschy's single. A wild pitch moved them into scoring position where sophomore Amber Hurt roped a base hit to right, plating both runners and eventually chasing Roncalli starter Elise Baker. In the fifth, Dye again led off with a walk and moved up on Hirschy's single. Maddie Engle followed with a double off the leftfield fence to push the lead to 6-0. The Dragons made two outs on the basepaths to end the threat, but held a comfortable lead. Roncalli scored on a sixth-inning homer, but Hirschy answered it with her second solo homer of the day in the seventh. Hughbanks pitched around a one-out walk in the seventh to nail down the title. In addition to Hirschy's 4-for-4 performance, Gross was 1-for-4 with a triple, a run and an RBI. Engle was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Hurt was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Kylee Beranek was 1-for-2. Miller was 1-for-3 with a run. Dye was 0-for-2, but drew two walks and scored twice.