Four Newton Senior High School softball players received Little Hawkeye Conference honors. The conference coaches selected the 2014 All-LHC teams recently and released the honors once last week’s state softball tournament was completed.
The Little Hawkeye Conference had three of its eight teams in the 2014 Iowa Class 4A State Softball Tournament. Conference champion Dallas Center-Grimes, defended its 4A state title, while Norwalk finished fourth at the state tournament and Oskaloosa was fifth.
Sophomore Sydney Jenkins was named to the 2014 All-Little Hawkeye Conference first team as a utility/designated hitter. Senior Lizzie Stock earned second-team honors as an infielder while senior Madison Bagnall and sophomore Kari Adams received honorable mention.
Jenkins, Newton’s sophomore catcher, led the Cardinals in most offensive categories. This was the second year Jenkins earned first-team conference honors.
Jenkins had a .979 fielding percentage with only two errors working behind the plate. Jenkins threw out seven runners attempting to steal bases this season.
Jenkins compiled a .481 batting average and a .759 slugging percentage. She connected for 38 singles, 10 doubles and three triples, leading Newton in all three. Jenkins hit two home runs, drove in 25 runs and scored 26 runs. She was 21-for-21 on stolen base attempts.
Stock was Newton’s starting shortstop. She had a fielding percentage of .938 and made eight errors on the season. Stock hit at a .343 clip with 35 singles, nine doubles, one triple and one home run. She drove in 13 runs and scored 25 runs.
Stock also pitched for the Cardinals. She went 3-7 in the circle. Stock walked 23 batters, allowed 91 hits and struck out 32.
Bagnall, who earned second-team honors a year ago, was Newton’s starting first baseman. She had a .983 fielding average and had four errors.
Bagnall led the team with three home runs. She connected for 24 singles and five doubles. Bagnall scored 10 runs while driving in 21 runs. She hit .261 for the season.
Adams manned third base for Newton, but missed the last couple of weeks of the season because of illness. Adams was the team’s third-leading hitter with a .246 average. She hit 15 singles, three doubles, one triple and two home runs.
Adams, who also played a few games at shortstop, had 10 sacrifices at the plate. She drove in nine runs and scored 16 runs. Adams earned conference honorable mention for the second year in a row.
Newton went 8-12 in Little Hawkeye Conference play, placing fifth. The Cardinals were 9-23 overall.
Pella Christian junior Tessa Howerzyl was named the 2014 Little Hawkeye Conference first-team cathcer. Eagle teammates Lauren Jungling, a senior, and Abby Pleima, a junior, received conference honorable mention.