vs
| 05/17/24 - Home | 16-0 W |
| 05/19/23 - Away | 19-0 W |
| 05/20/22 - Home | 20-0 W |
| 05/21/21 - Away | 14-1 W |
| 05/17/19 - Away | 14-1 W |
| + 4 more games |
New Palestine is a perfect 9-0 against Delta since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Dragons will challenge the Eagles at 6:00 p.m. The last three games New Palestine has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
New Palestine is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Indiana's top teams: Crown Point, who was ranked eighth at the time (New Palestine was ranked first). The Dragons fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 2-1 on Saturday. That's two games in a row now that the Dragons have lost by just one run.
Sadey Hughbanks was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she struck out six batters over 4.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, New Palestine saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Callie Cromwell, who went 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Meanwhile, Delta hadn't done well against Elwood recently (they were 1-7 in their previous eight matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Panthers. The Eagles might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by six runs or more this season.
Kaitlynn Burns spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, Delta got a massive performance out of Destinee Drown, who went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run. Those two doubles gave Drown a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Haley Loser, who went 4-for-5 with three runs.
The victory made it two in a row for Delta and bumps their season record up to 8-14. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 6 runs in those games. As for New Palestine, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 20-4 record this season.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. New Palestine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .341. However, it's not like Delta struggles in that department as they've averaged .360. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Palestine took their victory against Delta in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 16-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Dragons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
