FORTVILLE — If Thursday’s battle against another Class 4A state-ranked softball team is any indication, Pendleton Heights seems to be gaining momentum for a run at the Hoosier Heritage Conference and Mt. Vernon Sectional titles.
The No. 15 Arabians beat host No. 16 Mt. Vernon 13-3 in Fortville Thursday, May 6.
It was the first of three straight contests against formidable HHC foes as the Arabians wind down the regular season and prepare for Class 4A Sectional 9, also hosted by Mt. Vernon, beginning on May 24.

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Pendleton Heights got the best results from the matchup between two of the state’s top power-hitting programs. The Arabians came into the game ranked No. 2 in the state in home runs. Mt. Vernon was tied for fifth.
Senior Grace Scott hit a pair for Pendleton Heights in its impressive road win, while Gracie Conkling added another. Scott hit a grand slam in the third inning to give the Arabians a 5-2 lead. Scott and Conkling hit back-to-back long balls in the sixth to extend the team’s lead to 9-2.
“She’s a strong kid. When she puts the barrel on the ball, she’s going to hit it a long way, and she has been,” Pendleton Heights coach Rob Davis said of Scott.
Scott has four home runs against Mt. Vernon, also hitting a pair as a sophomore.
The Arabians have a school-record 49 home runs this season.
Mt. Vernon hit two home runs in the second inning, getting solo shots from Haley Kissee and Molly Buck to give the Marauders a 2-1 advantage.
Benefiting from two dropped fly balls in the outfield, Pendleton Heights grew that lead to 7-2 in the fifth.
The Arabians added four more runs in the seventh.
Junior Hailee Brunnemer had a three-hit game.
In relief of starter Brinkley Epperson, pitcher Ryann Norris entered the game in the third inning and retired nine of the first 10 batters she faced. After giving up a run in the sixth, Norris retired five of the last six hitters of the game.
Pendleton Heights improved to 15-5 with the win (2-1 in the HHC). It also moved up to No. 14 in the newest state poll, released Monday. It has four more conference games remaining against Greenfield-
Central, New Palestine, New Castle and Yorktown.
The Arabians were scheduled to play Greenfield-Central on Tuesday, May 11. On Thursday, May 13, they are slated to play host to No. 1 New Palestine, the current HHC leader, at 6 p.m.
“They’re all big,” Davis said of his club’s remaining schedule. “We’re still in the running for the conference championship. We know we have to win out, and we’re capable of winning out. It’s just whether we get the job done or not. That’s kind of the attitude we are all taking.”
On Saturday, in a non-conference doubleheader, the Arabians travel to No. 12 Noblesville.
“I think we’re right where we want to be,” Davis added. “It’s about what we do, not what anybody else does. It’s going to be hard. Everybody is trying to fine-tune their team and getting them ready to go. (The remainder of our) schedule is pretty brutal with Greenfield, New Pal — who is No. 8 in the nation — and I welcome that challenge. Then, we’ve got Noblesville twice on Saturday.
“Those will be tournament-
atmosphere games.”
The final week of the regular season will be a good challenge for the Arabians, too. They play their last home game Tuesday, May 18, against HHC foe New Castle before traveling to Fishers (May 19) and to Class 3A No. 1 Yorktown (May 20).