New Palestine celebrates sectional championship after defeating Roncalli
HIGH SCHOOL
New Palestine softball players take a photo with the sectional championship on May 28, 2025.
Joshua Heron
New Palestine High School celebrates with ISHAA Class 3A sectional championship after defeating Roncalli High School 7-1 on May 28, 2025.
Joshua Heron
New Palestine softball coach receives a gatorade bathe from his players after leading them to a sectional title on May 28, 2025.
Joshua Heron
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Indianapolis Star
04-06-2025
- Indianapolis Star
No. 1 New Palestine pushed to extra innings by Cascade, then explodes for 8 runs to win regional
CLAYTON – New Palestine's 11-3 win over host Cascade in Tuesday's Class 3A softball regional might look like a blowout at first glance, but the Dragons escaped fire as Cascade rallied after trailing 3-0 in the final inning of regulation to tie it with a chance to win the game. New Palestine junior pitcher Sadey Hughbanks escaped the jam, and the Dragons followed by putting together an improbable eight-run eighth inning spurred by senior Jersi Gross' inside-the-park home run to start the extra frame. Top-ranked New Palestine (26-4) moves on to face No. 2 Cathedral (26-2) in Saturday's semistate at Jasper, after the Irish topped Lebanon 13-0. The two teams last played in last year's regional championship, with the eventual state runner-up Dragons defeating the Irish 12-1. IHSAA softball regionals: Statewide pairings, schedule, scores 'Two great teams up in the rankings all year,' said New Palestine coach Ed Marcum. 'It'll be a great game.' Tuesday's score wasn't representative of how competitive the game was. Cascade senior pitcher Grace Gray escaped multiple jams as New Palestine left 11 runners on base through the first five innings. Early wind gusts of 25 mph blowing directly toward home plate didn't favor the Dragons. It was scoreless in the sixth, but the wind began to die down seemingly at the right time for New Palestine. Gross drew a walk on a 12-pitch at-bat. Katie Hirschy followed with a single to center, and Maddie Engle cleared the bases with a no-doubt home run over the left field fence on the first pitch for a 3-0 New Palestine lead. 'There were a lot (of at-bats) where it looked like we got ahold of the ball and then it was just a little dinker into right,' Engle said. 'There was one of my at-bats, where I hit it to center and everybody was like, 'Oh, you smacked that ball. If only the wind didn't get it.' When I went up to the plate again, the wind died down and we sent it. All of a sudden, our offense came to play. We were on fire. The wind dying down really helped us out.' The scrappy Cadets, who moved up to 3A this year after winning the 2A state title last year, didn't relent, patching together a three-run seventh to force extra innings. Back-to-back runners were ruled safe following game officials overturning the original calls of them being ruled out. Gray drove both in with a two-run single. A sacrifice by senior Ava Allen tied the score 3-3 and Cascade (21-6) had a runner on third with two outs, but Hughbanks coaxed a groundout to end the threat. After that, it was all New Palestine. 'It was kind of crazy,' Marcum said. 'Both pitchers were throwing great. Defensively, the teams were making plays and the pitchers were making the plays when they had to, to get out of jams. Cascade did a great job coming back and tying the game. It really showed a lot of what this team is about coming through with eight in the top of the eighth. I'm just really proud of them. We found out we couldn't score enough with the type of team Cascade was.' The Dragons sent 14 batters to the plate in the decisive eighth inning, scoring eight runs off seven hits and three walks, including Gross' inside-the-parker. She smacked a tailing fly ball to left field to start the inning, which sailed over the fielder's head. Gross blazed around the bases to record her first home run of the year. 'Once I saw her back turned, I wasn't planning to stop,' Gross said. 'That really put me in gear, like, 'Oh, shoot, I've got to go.'' Engle followed with an RBI single. Saydie Miller drove in a pair. Catherine Trebley added another RBI. Then it was back to the top of the order and Gross, who added an RBI double for good measure. Cascade would load the bases in the bottom of the inning, refusing to relent without a fight, but Hughbanks (25-4) was able to close the door for the complete-game win. 'We had to overcome adversity,' Gross added. 'It really showed that this team has fight and we're not going to give up, no matter what.'
Indianapolis Star
29-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
New Palestine celebrates sectional championship after defeating Roncalli
HIGH SCHOOL New Palestine softball players take a photo with the sectional championship on May 28, 2025. Joshua Heron New Palestine High School celebrates with ISHAA Class 3A sectional championship after defeating Roncalli High School 7-1 on May 28, 2025. Joshua Heron New Palestine softball coach receives a gatorade bathe from his players after leading them to a sectional title on May 28, 2025. Joshua Heron
Indianapolis Star
19-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Homers, gems and steals: Vote for IndyStar softball players of the week (May 12-17)
IndyStar will be recognizing the top softball players in Indiana with our players of the week poll, presented by YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. Scroll to the bottom of the article to vote. Voting is open until noon Friday. Congratulations to Noblesville's Addison Retzinger on being voted Player of the Week for May 5-10! The sophomore spun a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and zero walks in a 1-0 win over Hamilton Southeastern on Tuesday. Insider: Softball sectionals start next week. 9 storylines entering 2025 IHSAA state tournament More: She has no palm, just 2 fingers on right hand. 'She can do literally anything.' Like hitting over .400 Here were the top performers from the past week. The freshman secured a win over Pike, allowing one run on one hit with a couple walks and 11 strikeouts. She went 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI double. The sophomore went 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs scored and three RBIs in a 7-4 win over West Lafayette Harrison. She also scored a run vs. Hanover Central and notched a hit against Roncalli. Compton went homered three times in four at-bats vs. Highland, driving in eight runs and scoring three herself. She followed that effort with a 2-for-3 performance vs. New Palestine that included two more homers and three RBIs. Denny threw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over New Prairie. She issued only one walk in the winning effort and converted an assist on her one attempt in the field. Fox finished the week with nine hits, three RBIs and five runs scored. She doubled against Avon and New Palestine, and drove in a pair of RBIs against Greenfield-Central. Godby shined amidst a monster week at the plate for the Cadets, totaling 10 hits, five runs and 11 RBIs. She homered and doubled against Chatard, doubled twice against McCutcheon and notched her second five-RBI performance of the week vs. Fishers. Johnson pitched a no-hitter against Fountain Central, racking up 13 strikeouts and issuing only two walks over seven innings. She also doubled and scored a run in the 3-0 win. The senior cleared 1,000 career strikeouts amidst a 13-strikeout, five-inning perfect game against Tri-Central. She finished the week with 25 strikeouts, plus five hits and four RBIs at the plate It was a record-setting week for Murray, who launched her fifth and sixth homers of the season, leaving her with 20 for her career. She finished the week with five hits, four runs and seven RBIs, and highlighted her pitching performances with a win over Ne wPalestine (allowed two earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts). Prather homered twice in a 12-10 win over Noblesville, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the seventh inning. She finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs and three runs scored. The junior clocked a hit and a run scored in a win over Franklin Central. The sophomore utility player collected six hits across a Saturday doubleheader. She had three hits and a run scored vs. Pendleton Heights, then notched three hits, five RBIs and a run scored vs. Silver Creek. Big week for no-hitters. Sperling threw one in an 8-0 win over Princeton, striking out nine and aiding her own cause with a home run. The sophomore finished the week with five hits, three runs and a couple RBIs.
