April 26, 2024

Cardinal girls down Tigers in Little Hawkeye play

By Jocelyn Sheets

Newton third baseman Kari Adams applies the tag as a Grinnell player hits the slides back into the base safely. The Cardinals kept the Tigers at bay throughout Friday’s Little Hawkeye Conference game at home, winning 7-2. Newton broke a five-game losing skid with the victory. (Jocelyn Sheets)

NEWTON — A four-run third inning propelled Newton’s Cardinals to a 7-2 win at home Friday over Grinnell in Little Hawkeye Conference softball play. The victory halted a five-game losing streak for the Cardinals.

Ashton Hoffman was in control from the circle, limiting the Tigers to three hits. She walked three and struck out one.

Newton pushed across three more runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Grinnell scored twice in the seventh.

Bailey Davis drew a leadoff walk in the third and Lizzie Stock hit into a fielder’s choice but both runners were safe. Kari Adams singled to load the bases. Sydney Jenkins delivered a three-run double, and then scored on an RBI single by Madison Bagnall.

In the sixth, Kaytlin Ahn opened the inning with a single for Newton. With two gone, Davis drove in a run with a base hit. Stock hit a two-run home run.

Grinnell turned a walk and hit batter into two runs in the seventh.

The Cardinals are 3-10 overall and 2-5 in conference play. Three of the top eight ranked teams ranked in Class 4A are in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes handed eighth-ranked Oskaloosa its first loss Friday, 1-0.

Newton has a busy week starting tonight with a doubleheader at No. 8 Oskaloosa (14-1, 6-1). The Cardinals host fifth-ranked Norwalk (10-2) for a doubleheader Tuesday, then play Pella in conference action at home Wednesday.

The Cardinals step out of conference play at the end of the week. They play at Ames Thursday. They are in the West Marshall tournament at State Center Saturday.