Cardinals challenge two ranked teams in tourney

Going 1-2 in the first Newton Softball Tournament Saturday was good for the Newton High Cardinals. Their two losses were to two ranked teams in Iowa high school softball.

The day started with a 12-0 win, and a visit from a wild turkey, against Des Moines North. It ended in a fun-filled contest against NHS softball alumni.

Class 3A top-ranked Benton went 3-0 in tournament play while Class 4A No. 2-ranked Indianola was 2-0. Only Benton and Newton played three games in the event. Newton was 1-2 and Saydel went 1-1 while Des Moines North and Martensdale-St. Marys were 0-2.

Newton’s junior shortstop Sydney Jenkins and eighth-grade pitcher Peyton Maher were named to the all-tournament team. Joining them were: Benton-juniors Alyssa Wiebel and Amber Fisher; Indianola-senior Summer Waycoff and freshman Sydney Sickles; Des Moines North-junior Justina Negrete; Martensdale-St. Marys-freshman Kaitlyn Schad; Saydel-senior Liz Miklus.

Newton battled Indianola in its second game of the tournament. The Cardinals gave up six hits and lost 2-0 to the Indians. The Indians scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

To wrap up the tournament, the Cardinals challenged Benton, losing 10-3. Benton had defeated Martensdale-St. Marys, 10-0 and Des Moines North 11-0.

Newton charged to a 3-0 lead against Benton’s Bobcats, scoring three runs in the top of the third inning.

Kennedy Leiker singled, Fran Lucas drew a walk and Jenkins was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Karley Leiker hit a sacrifice fly for an RBI. Maher delivered a two-run single.

Benton’s Fiser parked a Maher pitch over the center field fence to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Maher responded in retiring the next three batters, two by strikeouts.

Both teams changed pitchers in the fourth inning. Taylor Ryan was in the circle for Newton and Benton went to Fiser to relieve Wiebel. Fiser shutdown Newton, pitching four no-hit, scoreless innings, and striking out 11.

The Bobcats scored six runs in the fourth inning to take control of the game, leading 7-3. They added a run in the fifth.

Karley Leiker, who was the winning pitcher against Des Moines North, took over in the circle for Newton in the sixth inning. Alyssa Wiebel powered out a two-run home run over the fence in left center field.

Maher went three innings in the circle, allowing one run on two hits and struck out four. Ryan took the loss, charged with seven runs on seven hits and one walk in two innings of work. Karley Leiker gave up two runs on two hits.

Maher and Kennedy Leiker had the hits, both singles, for the Cardinals against Benton.

In the loss to Indianola, Newton stranded seven base runners. The Cardinal defense committed two errors, which benefitted the Indians.

Jenkins connected for two singles. Maher and Fran Lucas each had a base hit. Maher took the pitching loss, giving up two walks, six hits and striking out five.

Newton pounded out 10 hits in the win over Des Moines North’s Polar Bears. Newton scored two runs each in the first and second innings then added three runs in the third. The Cardinals ended the game with a five-run fourth.

The big excitement of the game came when a wild turkey flew into the field of play at Agnes Patterson Softball Complex’s field No. 5. The bird landed then flew out again.

Karley Leiker made her varsity pitching debut and got the win. She threw a one-hit shutout. It was a single from the second batter she faced in the game. She recorded two strikeouts.

“Anna Coyle is out right now because of an injury. That changed our plans a bit for this weekend,” said Kristina McNew, Newton head coach. “Karley stepped in and did a good job today.”

Coyle is Newton’s other eighth-grade pitcher, who was a starter in the circle this season. Coyle has a 3-3 record. Maher is 4-4 after the tournament and Karley Leiker is 1-1.

Jenkins ripped the ball for a single, a double and a triple and drove in six runs for Newton in the tournament opener. Ryan and Kennedy Leiker had two singles apiece. Hitting a single each were Karley Leiker, Bailey Davis and Audrey Lucas.

Newton’s current softball players took on a team of 17 NHS softball alumni in a friendly game at Berg Middle School field Saturday evening. The alumni team included several mothers of current ball players and their head coach.

The alumni game finished up in a 3-3 tie.

The 2015 Cardinals (8-8) did not play Friday at home because of wet field conditions. They rescheduled their Little Hawkeye Conference game with Class 4A top-ranked Oskaloosa (14-0) for June 23 at Berg Middle School.

Monday, Newton travels to Pella in LHC play.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com