The New Palestine Dragons will face off against the Noblesville Millers at 5:30 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (New Palestine 1.3, Noblesville 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
New Palestine is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They never let Mt. Vernon get on the board and left with a 14-0 win on Thursday. Considering the Dragons have won eight contests by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
New Palestine let Katie Hirschy and Maddie Engle run wild. Hirschy went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Engle went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That triple was Hirschy's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Callie Cromwell, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and one run.
New Palestine always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. The last time their OBP was this high was back in June of 2024.
Meanwhile, Noblesville faced Lake Central in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Millers walked away with a 7-4 victory over the Indians.
Emme Yee spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits.
At the plate, Izzy Zapp was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with one home run and three RBI. Maggie Kern was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
The win made it two in a row for New Palestine and bumps their season record up to 10-1. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.5 runs over those games. As for Noblesville, their win bumped their record up to 9-1.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. New Palestine has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .434. However, it's not like Noblesville struggles in that department as they've averaged .467. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
New Palestine came out on top in a nail-biter against Noblesville in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, sneaking past 18-16. Do the Dragons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Millers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
