Newton Redbirds are 14A USSSA state champions

The Newton Redbirds captured the Iowa 14A USSSA State Tournament title July 12. The three-day state tournament was played in Des Moines.

Newton went 2-0 in pool play on Friday, defeating Home Plate Baseball 13-1 and the Parnell Tigers 6-1. The Redbirds went into the winners bracket on Saturday.

The Redbirds edged out the Central Iowa Spartans, 5-4, with Darren Revell, Taylor Greiner and Ryan Barr sharing the pitching duties for Newton. Cole Webster, Josh Miller, Matt Moran, Barr and Greiner each scored a run.

On Sunday, Newton decked the Carlisle Tigers 9-2 to advance to the championship game. Pitching in the game against Carlisle were Greiner, Miller and Aaron Bartels. Newton scored four runs in the first inning to take control of the game.

The Redbirds faced Muscatine Tribe-MBA for the championship and the teams battled into extra innings. In the eighth inning, Revell came into to score the winning run on a single by Miller. Newton won 3-2.

Pitching in the championship game were Barr, Revell, Greiner, Bartels and Webster. Julian Hotchkin scored a run in the third and Miller came home in the fourth.

In pool play, the Redbirds pushed out to an 8-0 lead after one inning against Home Plate Baseball. Greiner and Miller pitched in the game. Scoring runs were Bartels, Webster, Ty Arguello, Taylor Danley, Hotchkin, Miller, Greiner, Revell, Alex Farmer and Ben Leal. The game was halted in the fourth on a run-rule.

Barr and Revell pitched in Newton’s 6-1 win over Parnell. Barr, Webster, Revell, Farmer and Arguello each scored in the game.

The Newton Redbirds are ranked third in the nation according to the National Power Rankings by USSSA Baseball.