New Palestine High School

Jacob Morris, Alex Andrews and Gavin Neal combined on a two-hit shutout Saturday as the New Palestine baseball team beat Connersville 9-0. The Dragons took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Connersville hit back-to-back singles to lead off the frame. Offensively, the Dragons wasted no time getting going. They scored two runs without a hit in the first. Neal was hit by a pitch. Morris grounded into a fielder's choice to force Neal, but back-to-back walks to Kingston Hedges and Haydon Mills loaded the bases. A two-base error allowed two runs to score. In the third, the Dragons pushed the lead to 6-0, loading the bases with none out as Morris walked, Hedges was hit by a pitch and Marshall Giant reached on an infield single. Mills lined a two-run double to right to double the lead. After back-to-back strikeouts, Holden Hughes then roped a two-run double to push the lead to 6-0. NP added two more runs in the fourth when Neal was hit by a pitch and scored when Morris tripled to center. Hedges' RBI groundout plated Morris and added another run. Another run came home in the sixth when Eli Whiteside reached on an error and scored on Hedges' RBI single. The Dragons had five hits, as Hughes was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Mills was 1-for-2 with a double, a run and two RBI. Hedges was 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Morris went 1-3 with three runs, a triple and an RBI. Giant was 1-for-4 with a run. Morris struck out five in four innings to earn the win. Andrews fanned two in a perfect fifth inning, while Neal struck out five in two innings of relief to cap the game. The Dragons are now 12-7. They next play Monday at home against Cathedral.