NEW PALESTINE — A six-hit, six-run third inning broke a scoreless tie and the hits just kept on coming for the New Palestine baseball team in Saturday’s sectional semifinal rout of Richmond at New Palestine High School.
The Dragons had 14 hits — five players had multi-hit games —and ended the game early with the 10-run mercy rule with a six-inning 11-1 victory over the Red Devils.
Richmond ended its season 13-9.
New Palestine (23-5) will play Greenfield-Central (13-13) in the sectional championship game 11 a.m. Monday at NPHS. The Dragons are looking for a third straight sectional championship.
“As a high school baseball team, you want to hit one through nine and today we did,” New Palestine head coach Shawn Lyons said. “They threw it and we hit it. We played really good defense and Michael Thorpe had pretty good command. It was a solid all-around performance by our team.”
All nine in the Dragon batting order had at least one hit. Jacob Morris, Rigg Mahurin, Ben Hirschy, Wyatt Matheis and Gavin Neal each had two hits. Morris, Matheis and Henry Thorpe each had doubles. Adam Rickey, Nic Deering and Jackson Kamp also had hits.
One time through the Dragon order, Richmond pitcher Casey Blevins gave up two hits and no runs, but the Dragons were hitting the ball right at the Red Devils defense. Richmond center fielder Dustin Moore, after a Matheis double, made a nice running catch to end the second inning.
It was the last time Richmond would retire the Dragons without them getting on the scoreboard.
In the third inning, No. 9 hitter Gavin Neal reached on an infield single. Adam Rickey walked and Nic Deering hit a sinking liner to center. Moore nearly made the catch, but it dropped and he was able to force Neal out at third base. It didn’t slow the Dragons, as they followed with four straight singles. Morris knocked in the first run with a single to right field. Kamp followed with a single to left field to make it 2-0. Mahurin lined a single down the left field line to score two. Hirschy followed with the first of his two singles.
After Matheis grounded out, Henry Thorpe reached on a throwing error, which also got Mahurin across with the Dragons fifth run. In Neal’s second at-bat of the inning, he singled to center field to score Hirschy.
In the fourth inning, New Palestine added another run. Morris doubled and with two outs, Mahurin singled for his third RBI of the game.
The Dragons scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth.
Henry Thorpe doubled off the left field fence and scored on a Rickey single, who stole second base and later scored on a Richmond error.
Richmond scored its lone run in the fifth, getting back-to-back hits for the first time off Michael Thorpe. Zander Juday singled to right field and scored on a double by Logan Belanga.
New Palestine ended the game with two runs in the sixth inning.
Matheis singled and Henry Thorpe and Neal drew walks. Pinch-hitter Jace Jaques hit a sacrifice fly to right field and Henry Thorpe later scored on a wild pitch to end the game.
Michael Thorpe gave up six hits and struck out eight. He did not walk anyone.
The Dragons will seek a third straight sectional title Monday.
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New Palestine 11, Richmond 1
Richmond (13-9);000;010;—;1;6;3
New Palestine (23-5);006;122;—;11;14;0
Casey Blevins, Jayvian Burdette (5) and Landon Woehrmann; Michael Thorpe and Jackson Kamp. 2B: R – Logan Belanga; NP – Wyatt Matheis, Jacob Morris, Henry Thorpe. WP: M. Thorpe (6-1). LP: Blevins (4-4).
