By SCOTT HUNT shunt@chronicle-tribune.com May 16, 2025 Updated May 16, 2025
Madison-Grant freshman Dylan Martin dives across home plate with the game-winning run in the Argylls’ 3-2, eight-inning triumph over Frankton on Tuesday in Fairmount.
FAIRMOUNT — Madison-Grant’s chance to earn a piece of the Central Indiana Conference baseball championship vanished when it suffered a third league loss on May 8.
So the Argylls stepped into the role of spoiler Tuesday and they picked up the CIC’s home plate traveling trophy for their efforts.
Senior Levi Nelson’s sacrifice fly scored freshman Dylan Martin with one out in the eighth inning, lifting M-G to a 3-2, come-from-behind win over Frankton.
M-G improved to 3-3 in CIC play and saddled Frankton with its second conference loss, dropping the Eagles out of a virtual four-way for first place.
“Super proud of our guys. We’ve struggled a lot to hit the baseball recently and we doubled those guys in hits tonight. We needed that,” said M-G coach John Walters. “We needed that win to get the rest of the week going and ultimately get a run here before sectional.”
The Argylls got a typical strong outing on the mound by senior Xavier Yeagy, but jeopardized the performance by committing a pair of errors that led to Frankton’s two runs, both of which were unearned, in the sixth inning.
Madison-Grant got one run back in its half of the sixth. Senior Luke Gilman led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by junior Tripp Haisley.
Nelson had a one-out single in the seventh, which preceded a booming double by Yeagy that just missed going over the fence, but ultimately tied the score at 2-2. The Argylls loaded the bases with two outs after intentional walks to Gilman and Haisley, but Frankton junior Hunter Ulery got a strike out to end the threat.
Martin was the catalyst for M-G generating the game-winner score. He led off the eighth inning with a single and promptly stole second. He advanced to third on a ground out by Chad Lamb before scoring on Nelson’s fly ball to shallow center field.
“Our player of the game was hands down Dylan Martin,” Walters said. “Goes 3-for-4, steals two bases, scores that winning run. The kid is super fast. What a great moment for him to actually get us going and to get energy back in our dugout.”
Yeagy surrendered just four hits, one walk and one hit batter in his seven innings. Gilman allowed a two-out single in an stress-free eighth and earned the win on the mound.
“The goal was to get X (Yeagy) through the game. We want to use him again on Saturday. And also use Gilly in relief,” Walters said. “Got (Yeagy) through the seventh and kept him under a hundred pitches. Gilly went in there and did great job getting us the routine outs.”
Haisley and Nelson each had two hits. Sophomore Harry Brooks had a double in his first start in nearly a month after suffering an injury against Frankton in the Madison County tournament.
Lapel 6, M-G 4
The Argylls dropped a tightly contested battle to the 2A No. 1 Bulldogs Wednesday at home.
Lapel scored twice in the top of the first and added three more runs in the third.
M-G evened the score at 2-2 in the second inning with a single by Tripp Haisley, a double from Harry Brooks, an RBI ground out from Dylan Martin and a sacrifice fly by Chad Lamb.
The Argylls got a sac fly by Brayson Martin and an RBI single by Haisley to pull within 5-4 in the bottom of the third.
Lapel scored an insurance run in the sixth.
M-G 21, Elwood 6 (5)
The Argylls scored five runs in the first, seven in the third, three in the fourth and six in the fifth in their rout at Elwood on Thursday.
Madison-Grant had 11 hits, drew a dozen walks and had five batters hit-by-pitch.
Gilman was 2-for-4 with a double – M-G’s only extra-base hit – and three RBI. Brooks had two hits and three RBI while Andy Stanley added a pair of hits and two RBI. Eight different Argylls each scored two runs.
Madison-Grant (14-9) travels to Indianapolis on Saturday to face host Warren Central at 10 a.m. in the Warrior Baseball Invite.
HS Softball
M-G 7, Frankton 1
Argyll sophomore Olivia Dunham kept Frankton’s bats quiet with a complete game, one-hitter, and got an errorless game from her defense in keeping M-G’s slim CIC title hopes alive.
Dunham gave up a lead-off walk and a two-out single in the first inning, which plated the only run for the visitors. She collected four strikeouts and gave up three walks in her seven innings.
“… Olivia did a nice job trying to fight through the rain. We kept at it, pitched well and played pretty good defense. We started hitting the ball a little bit,” said Argylls’ coach Travis Havens. “We didn’t execute as well as I would’ve liked to in a couple innings, but anytime you can beat a Frankton team you’ve done a pretty good job.
“We made a little adjustment to some of the locations and how we were calling certain pitches. She’s responded to that,” he added on Dunham. “(Senior catcher) Johnna (Hiatt) is doing a nice job with relaying some information back to us.”
Offensively, the Argylls collected 11 hits, five for extra bases.
Senior Carley Holliday led off the bottom of the second with a home run to draw M-G even.
Junior Cayleigh Stitt led off Madison-Grant’s third inning with a double, stole third and scored on a bunt single by freshman Grace Wood. Hiatt and Holliday had back-to-back RBI doubles with one out to extend the Argylls lead to 4-1.
Hiatt drove in two more runs in the game with a single in the fourth. The Argylls used a Frankton error to score their final run in the sixth inning.
Wood had three hits and scored twice. Stitt added two hits and scored two runs. Hiatt and Holliday each finished with two hits. Dunham had a double and senior Demie Havens had a single.
“We’ve tried to stay consistent with the message, for one, we’re really looking for nine kids that can put the ball in play and we’ll find our defense accordingly after that,” Havens said. “We need to eliminate strikeouts, put the ball in play and execute. When the situation calls for a bunt, put it down and move a runner, steal a base.”
M-G 14, Monroe Central 3 (5)
The Argylls scored seven runs in the bottom of the first and third innings and made quick work of the Golden Bears Wednesday in Fairmount.
Senior McKenna Craig allowed four hits, no earned runs and had six strikeouts without a walk in 4 1/3 innings in the circle for M-G.
Holliday was 2-for-2 with her fourth homer of the season and two RBI. Demie Havens had two doubles, drove in three runs and scored two. Freshman Mae Ricks went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Craig had two hits with a double and an RBI. Woods 3-for-4 with two RBI.
M-G 10, Elwood 2
Dunham allowed only one hit with four Ks and no walks in six innings at Elwood on Thursday as the Argylls (15-6) finished CIC play with a 5-2 record.
Madison-Grant had 15 hits and took advantage of five Panthers’ errors.
Hiatt went 4-for-5 and drove in two runs. Holliday and Wood each had two hits with a double and two RBI. Havens and senior Madeline Clouse both had two his apiece. Havens drove in a run and scored twice. Clouse, Ricks, and freshman Delaney Pavey all scored two runs.
Madison-Grant hosts the Argylls Invite on Saturday and will play Cowan at 10 a.m. and Jay County at 1 p.m.