New Palestine High School

For the second straight day, the New Palestine baseball team found itself trailing Yorktown by nine runs. And for the second straight day, the Dragons staged a late-inning rally, only to have it fall just short. The Dragons used a six-run sixth to draw back into the contest, but ultimately dropped a 9-7 decision to the Tigers Wednesday at Yorktown. The Dragons fell to 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in the Hoosier Heritage Conference after the two-game sweep. Yorktown jumped ahead with a four-run first. The Tigers added two in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth to go up 9-0. Rigg Mahurin pitched a perfect fifth inning to keep the Dragons alive. In the sixth, Brock Whitaker led off with a walk. Gavin Neal followed with a double. Adam Rickey plated Whitaker with a sacrifice fly. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Wes Stiller laced a two-out two-run single to cut the deficit to 9-3. A walk and an error plated another run and put two runners aboard for Whitaker, who hit a two-run single to draw the Dragons within 9-6. Rickey led off the seventh with a single. After back-to-back strikeouts, a wild pitch brought Rickey home. Ben Morwick drew a two-out walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but a stirkeout ended the game. Stiller was 1-for-4 with a run and two RBI, while Whitaker was 1-for-1 with a run and two RBI. Neal was 1-for-4 with a double and a run. Rickey was 1-for-1 with a run and an RBI. Morwick was 1-for-2 with a run. The Dragons were outhit 12-5 in the contest. The Dragons next play Saturday at the Lebanon Invitational at Lebanon Memorial Park. The Dragons will face Guerin Catholic at 1:30 p.m., with the consolation game scheduled for 4 p.m. and the championship at 6:30 p.m.