Shelbyville had a big inning. New Palestine responded with a bigger inning.

In a battle of the Hoosier Heritage Conference’s top two teams in the standings, New Palestine used a 5-run third inning to take a lead it would never relinquish.

The Class 4A, No. 11 Dragons improved to 11-2 this season and 4-0 in the HHC standings with a 6-4 victory Thursday. The loss snapped Shelbyville’s six-game win streak and dropped the Golden Bears to 11-4 (3-1 HHC).

Alysa Mumaw and Maddie Engle had run-scoring doubles in the third inning to take the momentum from a Shelbyville squad that scored three times in the first inning.

The Golden Bears opened the game with three consecutive singles by Kylee Edwards, Hailey Pogue and Cheyenne Eads off New Palestine starting pitcher Courtney Study. Eads drove in Edwards and Addie Stieneker and Riley Maulden plated Pogue and Eads for an early advantage.

Study (8-0), still unbeaten in the pitcher’s circle this season, settled down from there and limited the Golden Bears to two more hits over the final six innings.

Paige Ernstes smashed a solo home run in the second inning before New Palestine erupted for five runs in the third off Eads, who struck out five and allowed all six runs (four earned).

Shelbyville hosts Whiteland (9-6) Monday.

In other prep events Thursday:

Baseball

Hauser 12, Southwestern 1

Kameron Blair, Stryker Gill and Holden Pittman each had two hits and drove in two runs to lead the Jets to the Mid-Hoosier Conference win.

Southwestern (3-8, 1-6 MHC) led 1-0 after two innings before Hauser (10-5-1, 8-0 MHC) scored eight runs over the next three innings to take control.

Pittman earned the win, pitching six innings, allowing five hits and striking out nine.

Southwestern is at Edinburgh (2-12, 0-7 MHC) Tuesday.

Morristown 17, Edinburgh 0

An 8-run fifth inning led the Yellow Jackets to the MHC victory over the Lancers.

Grant Kessler struck out 14 and did not allow a hit in a 5-inning complete-game performance.

Kane Snyder led the offensive output with four hits, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Breyton Loutt, Bryce Bryant and Zach Noel each had three hits. Noel had four RBIs.

Morristown 17, Edinburgh 0

In game two of the doubleheader, Morristown (7-4, 4-0 MHC) used a 9-run second inning to seal the victory.

Bryce Bryant allowed two hits and struck out 11 in four innings of work on the mound. He also had two hits, including a home run, scored three runs and had three RBIs.

Kane Snyder had three hits and three RBIs.

South Decatur 4, Waldron 1

Avery Seegers blasted two home runs and a double to lead South Decatur to the conference win.

Bryce Yarling went the distance for Waldron (2-11, 1-4 MHC). The senior scattered six hits and one walk while striking out nine but Devin Pate was even better on the mound to improve the Cougars to 9-3 (5-0 MHC).

Donovan Russell led Waldron with two hits and two walks.

Boys golf

Shelbyville 179, Batesville 187

At Hillcrest Country Club in Batesville, Eli Baker led Shelbyville with a round of 41 to earn co-medalist honor with Batesville’s Jackson Day.

Brock Wischmeyer finished at 43, two shots ahead of Jake Garrison. DaMiles McDuffey followed at 50. Cruz Nedderman posted 53 and Logan Reinhart shot 55.

Softball

Waldron 15, South Decatur 10

Bre Barton had four hits and four more Mohawks had two hits apiece to secure the high-scoring MHC win for Waldron (3-3-1, 3-2 MHC).

Ryleigh Kropp had two hits and five RBIs.

Alyssa Benson pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and seven walks while striking out nine.

Edinburgh 8, Morristown 0

MacKenzie Bieker allowed two hits and struck out 14 over seven innings to lead Edinburgh to the shutout victory.

Five different Lancers had two hits and Gracie Barrett, Alix Streeval and Gracie Crawhorn each drove in two runs to push Edinburgh’s record to 7-6 (5-1 MHC).

Girls tennis

Southwestern 3, Morristown 2

Southwestern’s Ella Rice won a three-set match at No. 1 singles over Sarah Essex to lead the Spartans to the win.

Rice defeated Essex, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Southwestern’s Tori Burkhart bested Olivia Trlak at No. 3 singles, 6-3, 6-1.

And the Spartans’ No. 1 doubles pairing of McKinley Correll and Lauryn Blondell blanked Remi Spicklemire and Bri Flores, 6-0, 6-0.

At No. 2 doubles, Morristown’s Katie Hillock and Ashlee Balinger defeated Lily DeSpain and Kate Coffman, 6-0, 6-3.

Morristown’s Abby Mendoza was declared the winner at No. 2 singles over Aurora Belton, who forfeited the match while trailing 5-1 in the first set.

Boys track

Eastern Hancock Invitational

Southwestern finished sixth out of seven scoring teams.

Josh Wenger produced Southwestern’s top finish with a runner-up performance in the discus (119 feet, 8.5 inches).

Owen Stringer finished fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (45.5 seconds) and Dane Kissell placed fourth in the 1,600 (5:13).

Girls track

Eastern Hancock Invitational

Southwestern placed seventh out of eight teams competing in Charlottesville.

Southwestern got individual wins from Lilly Rooks (15-5.75 in long jump) and Emma Isgrigg (28-1.25 in shot put).

Rooks also was part of the Spartans’ third-place finishing team in the 400 relay. She teamed with Mikayla Claiborne, Riley Engel and Emma Estes to stop the clock at 56.01.

Southwestern also finished fifth in the 3,200 relay (13:41) with Sydney Griffin, Maxine Higdon, Malori Pike and Libby Weinantz.

Claiborne finished fourth in the long jump (13-5.5).

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