Saturday county wrap: G-C rallies to beat MV

Baseball

Greenfield-Central 5, Mt. Vernon 4, 8 innings: Sophomore shortstop Mitch Gibson's infield single with runners on second and third gave the Cougars a 5-4 victory over MV. 

G-C rallied from a 4-0 deficit to get the victory in extra innings. 

The Cougars scored twice in the fourth to cut the deficit to two runs, as Clark Pence walked and Curtiss Irving doubled down the leftfield line with nobody out. Both scored on groundouts to short. G-C tied it in the fifth, taking advantage of two walks and a hit by Pence to load the bases. Cam Gruell drew a bases-loaded two-out walk, and pinch-hitter Jordan Keener hit an infield single to deep shortstop to plate the tying run. 

MV had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but Keener -- who was working his second inning of relief -- was able to strike out the hitter and catcher Jayden Jackson picked a runner off third on the play to end the inning. G-C also turned an unorthodox 6-3-5 doubleplay in the seventh to cut a runner down trying to take a third base from first on a groundout. The Cougars turned three doubleplays in the game. 

In the bottom of the eighth, Chris Kersey reached on a one-out error. A single moved him into scoring position, setting the stage for Gibson, who hit a slow roller up the middle and beat out the throw to first, allowing the winning run to score.

Keener (1-2) got the win in relief. He was the third pitcher of the day for the Cougars, and allowed three hits in three innings of work. Joey Turner (0-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run. He was MV's fourth pitcher of the day. 

MV took a 3-0 lead in the first when Drew Kammerer walked and scored on Zach McFarland's single. Jon Michael Weaver followed with a double. McFarland scored on a balk and Tyler Langdon singled Weaver home, chasing G-C starter Jared Banton after 1/3 inning. McFarland singled and scored on Langdon's hit in the third that made it a 4-0 game, but G-C freshman Seth Adams was able to limit further damage. He also was able to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. 

G-C posted its fourth walk-off come-from-behind victory of the season. The Cougars are now 12-8 on the year and 6-4 in HHC play, good for third in the conference. The Marauders saw a four-game HHC winning streak stopped and are now 7-11/4-6.

Yorktown 8, New Palestine 6: The Tigers scored six runs in the third inning to build a 7-1 lead, and then held off a late comeback attempt by the Dragons.  

Connor Swain took the loss on the mound for NP, which dropped into a first-place tie with Pendleton Heights. NP and PH are now both 7-1 on the year in HHC play, and play next Friday in a doubleheader that will be broadcast live by HancockCountySports.com. The Dragons are 14-4 overall. 

NP next plays Monday at Delta in a doubleheader, starting at 4:45 p.m. The Dragons will complete a suspended game, which they will begin trailing 4-2 in the top of the third. After that, Game 2 of the doubleheader will commence.

Royals sweep Daleville: Eastern Hancock improved to 7-9 on the year with two convincing victories over Daleville on the road.

EH won the opener 10-4, taking the lead for good with a three-run third that made it 4-2. The Royals added two runs in the fifth and four in the seventh.

Evan Fout and Cody Wallace both homered and drove in two runs each. Wallace also scored three times and Fout twice. Both had two hits. For Wallace, it was his ninth homer of the season. Dalton Korlowicz was 3-for-4 with a run, a double and three RBI. Justin Dunlavy had two hits and two RBI. Wallace allowed two earned runs, seven hits and struck out five in a complete-game victory.

EH won the nightcap 17-4, using a 12-run fourth inning to take a 17-1 lead. Cole Fout was 4-for-4 with a double, a run and six RBI. Hunter Brown was 3-for-4 with two doubles and four runs. Evan Fout was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBI. Dalton Korlowicz had two runs and two RBI. Kyle Kramer was 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Connor Kramer was 2-for-2 with three runs and an RBI. He also walked three times. Coston Brown allowed five earned runs, five hits and struck out two in a complete-game five-inning victory.

HHC update

HHC baseball standings: New Palestine 7-1, Pendleton Heights 7-1, Greenfield-Central 6-4, Delta 5-5, Rushville 5-5, Mt. Vernon 4-6, Yorktown 3-7, Shelbyville 1-9. 

This weekend: NP split with Yorktown (NP 11-1, Y 8-6), PH swept Shelbyville (14-2 and 13-8), G-C and MV split (MV 4-1, G-C 5-4/8inn) and Rushville/Delta split (D 8-1, R 2-1). 

Next week: 2 Monday tilts, one scheduled, one a makeup: Pendleton Heights at Yorktown (single games both Monday 5/7 and 5/14) and New Palestine at Delta (completion of suspended 1st game, then 2nd game of DH, rescheduled from 4/28). Friday night: PH at NP, G-C at Rushville, Shelbyville at MV. Delta & Yorktown will be idle from conference play due to participation in the Delaware County Tournament. 

Softball

G-C drops 2 games at Plainfield Tournament: Greenfield-Central fell in two games at the Plainfield Tournament on Saturday. 

In their first game, the Cougars fell to Castle 1-0 in 11 innings, a tight pitcher's duel that was finally broken deep in the game with an unearned run. G-C pitcher Sami Frazier went the distance, striking out 12 and allowing five baserunners -- with three hits and two walks. G-C had five hits, with Kimmy Ellenberger and Lauren Deeter getting two hits each. Ashley Brunk also doubled for the Cougars. 

In the second game, G-C fell to Silver Creek 4-0. The Dragons had single runs in the second and third before scoring two in the fourth. Alyssa Walls had two hits to lead the Cougars. Ashley Whitaker had a double to help pace a six-hit attack. Whitaker allowed six hits and one earned run in six innings, striking out five. 

G-C is now 16-5 on the year, and faces HHC co-leader Pendleton Heights on Tuesday. 

Royals split with Lapel: Eastern Hancock earned a split in its doubleheader against Lapel. 

Lapel won the first game 5-3. EH scored first, but Lapel tied it in the second and took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the third. Lapel added another run in the fourth before Savannah Blevins' two-run homer in the sixth cut Lapel's lead. Blevins also doubled for the Royals. Skylar Overleese had two hits. Taylor Mercer had an RBI. Tori Bednarski doubled, helping pace a nine-hit attack. Mercer allowed 11 hits, three earned runs and struck out four in six innings. 

In the second game, EH won 16-2 in five innings, backed by a nine-run first and a six-run fourth. Blevins homered again -- this time driving in three runs -- and doubled. Allison Dickey had a single, double, two runs and three RBI. Mercer had two hits and two RBI. Taylor Denny was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Bednarski also drove in a run and scored twice. Neisler got the win, allowing six hits, one earned run and striking out six over five innings. 

The Royals next play Monday at home against Shenandoah. They will also compete in next Saturday's G-C Cougar Classic, in which we will broadcast at HancockCountySports.com.

Golf

New Palestine 10th at Brebeuf: The Dragons shot 356 and were 10th at the 13-team Brebeuf Invitational. 

Westfield won the event with a 297, beating Brebeuf by two strokes and Carmel by five. 

Tennis

Royals 4th at Lebanon Invitational: Eastern Hancock finished fourth in the four-team Lebanon Invitational. Host Lebanon won the event over Mississinewa. Frankton finished third.