The New Palestine Dragons will square off against the Pendleton Heights Arabians at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
The home team had come away the winner the last five times New Palestine and Connersville had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Dragons never let the Spartans get on the board and left with a 13-0 win on Friday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Dragons needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.
Gavin Neal
| 05/09/25 @ Connersville | 4 |
| 04/22/25 vs Mt. Vernon | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Yorktown | 2 |
| 04/20/24 vs Franklin Central | 2 |
| 04/21/25 vs Whiteland | 1 |
Jacob Morris and Gavin Neal made a big impact no matter where they played. On the mound, Morris tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Meanwhile, Neal pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). At bat, Morris went 1-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run, while Neal went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Carsyn Baker, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jesse Isaacs, who went 1-for-2 with two runs.
New Palestine always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Connersville only posted an OBP of .280.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last game, Pendleton Heights made sure to put some runs up on the board against Lebanon on Friday. The Arabians were the clear victors by a 15-3 margin over the Tigers. The victory was some much needed relief for the Arabians as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Brayden Stevenson made a splash no matter where he played. He pitched 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Mazon Saxon was incredible, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with four runs, two stolen bases, and two doubles. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Jackson Grile was another key player, going 2-for-4 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run.
New Palestine's win bumped their record up to 15-3. As for Pendleton Heights, their victory bumped their record up to 12-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. New Palestine has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pendleton Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
New Palestine was able to grind out a solid win over Pendleton Heights in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. Will the Dragons repeat their success, or do the Arabians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
