New Palestine is a perfect 4-0 against Carmel since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Dragons will be playing at home against the Greyhounds at 6:00 p.m. One thing working in New Palestine's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs every time they've taken the field this season.
New Palestine is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They were the clear victors by a 12-1 margin over Hamilton Southeastern on Thursday. Fans of the Dragons have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Sadey Hughbanks spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
Callie Cromwell
| 04/17/25 @ Hamilton Southeastern | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ Franklin Central | 1 |
| 04/11/25 @ Plainfield | 1 |
| 04/10/25 vs Avon | 1 |
At the plate, New Palestine let Katie Hirschy and Callie Cromwell run wild. Hirschy went 1-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI, while Cromwell went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. Those two runs gave Cromwell a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Payton Dye, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones working in the home run department: New Palestine lost a few balls and finished the game with two home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, Carmel lost 16-2 to Noblesville on Wednesday. The Greyhounds have struggled against the Millers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost meeting.
Jayden Kleiner was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run. Katherine Warren also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
New Palestine's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-0. The team's perfect season has a lot to do with their hitting performance: the team's won by an average of 9.8 runs thus far. As for Carmel, their loss dropped their record down to 1-9.
Carmel's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: New Palestine hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .405. It's a different story for Carmel, though, as they've only averaged .245. Will they be able to contain New Palestine's hitters?
Everything went New Palestine's way against Carmel in their previous matchup back in April of 2023, as New Palestine made off with a 7-1 win. Will the Dragons repeat their success, or do the Greyhounds have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
