MUNCIE — Senior pitcher Zane Cline was in the zone during Delta baseball’s home game against New Palestine.
The Eagles (10-7) hosted their Hoosier Heritage Conference rival on Wednesday, May 7. The Dragons (14-3) were ranked No. 6 in Class 3A by the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) earlier this week and entered Wednesday’s game on a 10-game winning streak — including a 5-2 win over Delta the night before.
Cline and the Delta defense brought that streak to an end with a 1-0 shutout victory, the first time New Palestine has not scored in a game all season. The Eagles’ ace went six innings with just three hits and three walks allowed while logging nine strikeouts.
“My main attention was to throw strikes,” Cline said. “I know that’s a great team, and we’re probably going to see them again later in the year. I know we have a great defense behind us, so main goal is just throw strikes and let the defense work because I know we just got great guys back there, and I can trust them with everything.”
Cline’s trust in the defenders behind him proved to be well-founded. Infielders like junior shortstop Everett Linn and senior first baseman Kaeb Stebbins executed their roles to perfection, and junior Ryan Neal also made a nice catch out in left field. New Palestine only reached base six times throughout the game, with only two of them reaching as far as third base.
“I think we played pretty good defense for the most part,” said Delta assistant coach Jake Van Pelt, who is currently filling in as head coach. “We talked about that here the past couple of weeks, like, ‘Hey, defense, be behind your pitcher, get behind him and let him know that you’re behind him,’ and they did that.
“That’s all you can ask for, is to play defense.”
The Dragons’ defense was similarly efficient — except for one pivotal error that proved costly.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, senior Chase Flannery got Delta started with a double. Fellow senior Campbell Light followed with a sacrifice bunt to advance Flannery to third, but an error at first base by the Dragons allowed Light to reach base safely and gave Flannery the time he needed to get home for the game’s only score.
“We had good at-bats,” Van Pelt said. “We hit some balls hard, but against good teams, sometimes you’ve just got to grind one out and win 1-0.”
Delta had lost three of its last four heading into Wednesday’s matchup and needed a confidence boost with the Delaware County Tournament right around the corner. Van Pelt believes that the Eagles got just that by shutting down their highly ranked HHC rival.
“I feel like sometimes, we lack confidence a little bit,” Van Pelt said. “We can be one of the best teams in the state. I firmly believe that, and I hope these guys firmly believe that. No one’s going to give it to us, but we’ve got to go out and earn it, and I think we can do it.”
From the box score
Delta (10-7, 5-7 HHC)
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@muncie.gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Delta baseball picks up much-needed confidence boost with win over New Palestine
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
