Delta hasn't had much luck against New Palestine recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Eagles will host the Dragons at 6:00 p.m. Delta will be strutting in after a win while New Palestine will be coming in after a loss.
Delta will bounce into Friday's game after beating Elwood, who they had gone 1-7 against in their eight prior meetings. The Eagles were the clear victors by a 14-4 margin over the Panthers on Thursday. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far 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.
Meanwhile, New Palestine faced Crown Point in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Dragons fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 2-1. 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.
The victory made it two in a row for Delta and bumps their season record up to 8-14. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.5 runs over those games. As for New Palestine, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 20-4 record this season.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Delta hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .360. However, it's not like New Palestine struggles in that department as they've averaged .341. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Delta suffered a grim 16-0 defeat to New Palestine when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Will the Eagles have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
