Coming off of a rough weekend and a loss to Pella on Monday night, the Cardinals’ softball team traveled to Pella Christian to makeup a doubleheader that was rained out on June 5.
The Eagles held the Cardinals’ offense in check for both games, and defeated their Little Hawkeye Conference rivals 4-2 and 6-5, handing Newton their fifth and sixth consecutive losses in the process.
Game One was a 4-2 PC victory over the Cardinals. Things started promisingly for the Cards in this one. Freshman Sydney Jenkins singled to lead things off in the top of the first inning. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt by senior Sarita Smith, and scored on a single by sophomore third baseman Sarah Kalkhoff.
In the second inning, the Cards had back-to-back hitters reach base when Frances Lucas was hit by a pitch and Morgan Davros singled. However, a strikeout by Jenkins ended the inning.
Smith hit a ball that was misplayed to lead off the third, but she was gunned down trying to take the extra base. Kalkhoff then doubled but was left stranded when neither of the next to batters reached base.
Kari Adams led off the fourth with a single, but the Eagles’ pitcher got the next three Cardinal hitters out to squash any potential rally. Allison Ergenbright scored the second run of the game when she crossed the plate on a base hit by Davros in the sixth inning.
In Game Two, the Cards had a big three-run rally in the third inning, and added solo runs in the fourth and seventh, but it was not enough as they fell one run shy of forcing extra inning.
Jenkins reached on an error in the third innings. She advanced on a single by Smith, and a single by Kalkhoff scored the Cards’ first and second runs. Ashton Hoffman’s sacrifice capped the team’s scoring in the inning.
Adams singled to lead off the top of the fourth inning. A sacrifice by Lucas and a single by Kaitlyn Ahn put Adams on third. Another sacrifice allowed the fourth run to cross the plate for Newton.
The final Newton run scored on an Eagles’ error in the top of the seventh, which allowed Smith to cross the plate. Molly Davros was left stranded on third as the Cards came up just short of tying the game.
Sports writer Dustin Turner may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 440, or at dturner@newtondailynews.com.