New Palestine has gone 9-1 against Jennings County recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Dragons will challenge the Panthers at 10:00 a.m. New Palestine is coming into the game hot, having won their last eight games.
On Thursday, New Palestine earned a 6-2 win over Greenfield-Central.
Sadey Hughbanks spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on four hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
Jersi Gross
| 05/08/25 vs Greenfield-Central | 3 |
| 05/05/25 vs Franklin Community | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Mt. Vernon | 2 |
| 04/16/25 @ Franklin Central | 2 |
| 04/02/25 @ Eastern Hancock | 2 |
At the plate, Jersi Gross and Katie Hirschy did most of the damage at the plate: Gross went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI, while Hirschy went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Those three hits gave Gross a new career-high. Maddie Engle was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
New Palestine was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .452. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Jennings County hadn't done well against Bedford North Lawrence recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Panthers walked away with a 7-3 victory over the Stars.
Arian Day made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Day was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double.
Day wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Maycie Ward, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one run.
Jennings County is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.9 runs over those games. As for New Palestine, their victory was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-1.
Saturday's matchup 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 .324. However, it's not like Jennings County struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went New Palestine's way against Jennings County in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as New Palestine made off with a 15-0 win. Do the Dragons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
