Greenfield-Central hasn't had much luck against New Palestine recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cougars will challenge the Dragons at 6:00 p.m. Greenfield-Central is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Greenfield-Central is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past New Castle 14-1 on Monday. The win continues a trend for the Cougars in their matchups with the Trojans: they've now won five in a row.
Tovaria Smith made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Charlotte Riehle
| 05/05/25 @ New Castle | 2 |
| 04/26/25 @ Indian Creek | 1 |
| 04/16/24 vs Madison-Grant | 1 |
| 04/12/24 @ Franklin Community | 1 |
In other batting news, Charlotte Riehle was a standout: she fired off two home runs, five RBI, and three runs while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Kristen Wineinger was another key player, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI.
Greenfield-Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .448. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as New Castle only posted a batting average of .056.
Meanwhile, New Palestine had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.2 runs) and they went ahead and made it seven on Wednesday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 4-3 W against the Royals. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Dragons have posted against the Royals since April 10, 2017.
Tessa Mohr looked comfortable as she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, New Palestine's win was truly a team effort as four different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Saydie Miller, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double. Another was Jersi Gross, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
Greenfield-Central's record now sits at 7-5. As for New Palestine, they pushed their record up to 15-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Greenfield-Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. However, it's not like New Palestine struggles in that department as they've averaged .338. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Greenfield-Central suffered a grim 10-4 defeat to New Palestine when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
