Sturtz pitches a gem for Cardinal win

Garrett Sturtz was in command on the hill for Newton High’s Cardinal baseball team at home Wednesday. Sturtz was one hit away from pitching a perfect game for the Cardinals against visiting Grinnell’s Tigers.

“I’ve not seen someone pitch a game like that in high school,” Newton High head coach Dustin Brisel said after a 4-0 win in the opener of a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader. “Garrett threw 59 pitches in seven innings. He kept the Grinnell hitters off balance. What a great pitching performance.”

Newton swept the LHC twin bill at Eversman Field in Woodland Park. The Cardinals got a walk-off RBI base hit by Drew Stout to win the second game, 4-3, in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Drew is on fire at the plate for us right now. He had two hits in each game tonight,” Brisel said. “We’ve talked about it — we put the ball in play and good things will happen. Every guy who went to the plate tonight had a hit.”

Between games, Newton held a moment of silence in memory of Newton High student Trenton Brady, who was killed in a car accident Wednesday morning. Brady would-be a senior this fall. The team also painted Brady’s football uniform number 52 behind the plate.

Newton (4-5) was to have played junior varsity and varsity games against BGM at Brooklyn Thursday. Brisel said those games have been canceled because of a memorial service at 7 p.m. Thursday for Brady at Newton’s H. A. Lynn Stadium.

Among the 59 pitches, Sturtz threw in the first game, 43 were strikes. Brisel said the sophomore right-hander delivered strikes and allowed his defense to play behind him. Stout at third base, Gholson at shortstop and Sturtz each handled hot shots off Tiger bats and recorded outs.

Grinnell’s Ethan Mitchell hit a two-out single in the first inning off Sturtz. Mitchell was retired when he was thrown out trying to steal second base. Newton catcher Duncan Lee fired a strike to second baseman Tyler Stanton who applied the tag to end the inning.

Sturtz did not issue a walk, and Newton’s defense did not make an error.

The Cardinals scored twice in their half of the first inning. Stout doubled to left field to lead off the frame. Brennen Dodd put down a bunt, which he beat out for a single, and Stout moved to third base. With one gone, Gholson ripped a two-run double to right field.

Stanton worked a leadoff walk in the second for Newton followed by Reagan Maple’s first-career sacrifice bunt. Trevor Ergenbright reached on an error and Stanton raced home.

In the sixth inning, Trey Vanderlaan connected for a base hit to right field followed by a single Sturtz. There was one out when Maple reached on a fielder’s choice and Vanderlaan slid under the tag at the plate for a fourth run for Newton.

Stout had a single and a double for Newton and Dodd hit two singles. Gholson doubled while Vanderlaan, Sturtz and Ergenbright each had a single.

It was the first LHC win for the Cardinals of the season. Later the Cardinals evened their conference mark to 2-2 with the win of the second game.

The Cardinals produced three runs in the first inning of the nightcap against Grinnell. Stout, Dodd, Lee and Gholson had consecutive base hits with Lee and Gholson driving in runs. Keith Steinbach, who was the courtesy runner for Lee, scored on a throw by Tigers on Gholson’s hit.

Two Cardinal errors led to single runs in third and fourth by Grinnell. In the fifth inning, the Tigers used two walks and a couple of sacrifices to help the game. Zaine Leedom stole home to tie the game.

Ryan Hollibaugh doubled to open the seventh inning for the Tigers and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. He attempted to steal home but was cut down by a throw from Gholson to Lee.

Maple pinch hit for Grant Nook to lead off the bottom of the seventh for Newton. He delivered a single to left field, and Nook re-entered as a pinch runner. Ergenbright moved Nook to third on a sacrifice bunt.

“Drew hit a rope to left field and Grant came around to score the winning run,” Brisel said. “We got two conference wins tonight. The guys competed well, and we hit the ball.”

Gholson got the pitching win in relief of starting pitcher Vanderlaan. Vanderlaan worked four innings, giving up two runs on two hits and four strikeouts. Gholson threw three innings, allowed one run on one hit and two walks, and had one strikeout.

Stout had two singles in the game. Dodd, Lee, Gholson, Stanton and Maple each had a base hit.

Newton plays a 7:30 p.m. game Friday at Oskaloosa in Little Hawkeye Conference play.

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