Newton baseball falls in LHC opener

NORWALK — Newton’s Cardinal baseball players were stymied at the plate by the pitching of Norwalk senior Austin Lavelle Wednesday night. In their Little Hawkeye Conference opener, the Cardinals were held to two hits and struck out nine times against Lavelle.

Newton dropped a 4-0 decision to the hosting Warriors, who notched their first win of the season. Newton and Norwalk are both 1-4 overall. The Cardinals are 0-1 in LHC play and the Warriors are 1-0.

Senior shortstop Chandler Sturtz singled to lead off the game for Newton, but the Cardinals couldn’t put together hits to score a run in the first. Derek Wrage, a senior who started on the mound for Newton, ripped a double leading off the top of the third in a scoreless game. Again, the Cardinals stranded base runners.

Norwalk broke the scoreless tie in its half of the third inning. With one gone, Tyler Schilling doubled. Mason Hughes went in as a courtesy runner and came around to score on a two-out single by Sam Acri.

The Warriors added two more runs in the fourth. Lavelle drove in both runs on a double to center field. Two singles and a double-play grounder produced the final run of the game for Norwalk in the fifth inning.

Newton was retired in order in the sixth and seventh innings.

Wrage pitched two innings of one-hit baseball and struck out two Warriors. Jordan Travis was charged with three runs on four hits and three walks in two innings of work for Newton. Michael Barr allowed one run on three hits and one walk in two innings, plus struck out one batter.

Newton hosts Pella Christian at Woodland Park Friday for a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader. First pitch is at 5:30 p.m.