April 25, 2024

Cardinals lose LHC showdown to Pella, weather

By Jocelyn Sheets

Barr is back. Newton High senior Michael Barr missed several games because of a shoulder injury, but got back in the swing of things last week as the Cardinals’ designated hitter. The Cardinals played at Pella Monday night in Little Hawkeye Conference action and in a rain-shortened game lost 2-1. (Jocelyn Sheets)

PELLA — It was a game between two of the three teams tied atop the Little Hawkeye Conference baseball standings. It was a one-run contest, and appeared to go right to the wire.

Unfortunately, the weather stepped in Monday night. Newton High’s Cardinals trailed host Pella, 2-1, but had retired the first Little Dutch batter of the sixth inning. The teams went to a 30-minute rain delay. When they came back, the field was not playable and the game was called.

Newton, Pella and Oskaloosa were locked in a three-way tie in the LHC standings at 6-2 going into Monday’s games. With the 2-1 rain-shortened game victory over Newton, Pella grabbed a 7-2 mark in the conference to Newton’s 6-3.

The Cardinals (11-6) play a varsity doubleheader Wednesday at Dallas Center-Grimes in conference action. They host Des Moines North at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in non-conference action at Newton’s Woodland Park.

Newton is home again Friday as Grinnell comes to Eversman Field. The Little Hawkeye Conference varsity game is at 7:30 p.m.

Pella scored single runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Newton produced its run in the fifth.

Connor Gholson singled to open the fifth for the Cardinals. With two gone, Jordan Travis delivered an RBI base hit.

The Cardinals had six hits in the game led by Tyler Wood’s two singles. Drew Stout and Duncan Lee each had a single.

Travis held the Little Dutch to four hits in a losing effort on the mound. He walked two and struck out two batters. Grant Judkins was the winning pitcher for Pella.

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