March 28, 2024

Raiders, Cardinals are first, second at NHS tourney

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Newton High’s Cardinals and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s Raiders were the hot teams on a hot day at Agnes Patterson Park in Saturday’s 2016 Newton High Softball Tournament. The Cardinals and the Class 10th-ranked Raiders were 2-0 in games.

The Raiders scored 22 runs in their victories — 14-0 over South Hardin in five innings and 8-5 over Des Moines Roosevelt. Newton rolled past Roosevelt 9-1 in its opener and beat Saydel, a team which defeated CMB Friday night, 3-0 in its second game for 12 runs scored.

Saydel edged Indianola 5-4 in its first game then lost only for the second time this season when the Cardinals shut the Eagles out. Indianola downed Class 3A top-ranked Benton 1-0 after Benton decked Des Moines North 14-0 in its opener Saturday. South Hardin beat North 12-0 in their second games of the tournament.

CMB earned the tournament title and the Raider players were awarded team medals. Medals were also awarded to an all-tournament team which included Newton senior Sydney Jenkins and freshman Emily Valtman and CMB’s junior Abbey Kahler and eighth-grader Mikayla Houge.

CMB and Benton went head-to-head in an extra game following tournament play at Agnes Patterson. Benton won the contest of top-10 Class 3A teams, 10-0 in five innings.

“Overall it was a good day going 2-1,” CMB head coach Troy Houge said. “We seemed to run out of gas against a very good Benton team. We had runners on but could not get the runs across. Benton made us pay for our mistakes. It was a good learning experience for the girls on playing top teams and handling the heat for the first time this year.”

The tournament was delayed by an hour because of early morning rain in Newton.

The Raiders opened against South Hardin and Mikayla Houge threw a one-hit shutout in the five-inning, run-ruled shortened contest. She struck out five South Hardin batters.

Hammering out her fourth home run of the season, senior Payge Jurgens had a grand slam as the Raiders pulled away from the Tigers. Jurgens was 4-for-4 with three singles. She scored three runs and had five RBIs.

CMB had a six-run third inning to go up 8-0, added a run in the fourth and scored five times in the fifth. Eighth-grader Holly Jessen singled and doubled in the game and eighth-grader Abby Husak hit two singles.

Hitting a single each were Abbey Kahler, junior Mikayla Eslinger and Houge.

While the Raiders were winning big up on Field 4, Newton was doing much the same just down the hill. The Cardinals built a 5-0 lead before Des Moines Roosevelt added a run in the third inning.

Newton’s Jenkins had already scored twice in the game, but she led off the fourth with ad double followed by a single from sophomore Karley Leiker. Sophomore Taylor Ryan drove in Jenkins on a fielder’s choice.

Valtman, who was 4-for-4 in the game, hit Newton’s second home run of the season. She launched a pitch over the center field fence for a two-run blast. Valtman also had three singles in the game.

Newton added a run in the sixth for the 9-1 final. Karley Leiker and freshman Maddi Thayer shared the pitching duties for Newton as they combined to limit the Roughriders to three hits.

Jenkins had two doubles, and Ryan hit a double and a single. Karley Leiker had a single.

The Cardinals took on Saydel, which was 10-1 going into Saturday’s game. The Eagles had beaten CMB 4-0 Friday in Heart of Iowa Conference play then got a one-run win over Indianola in their first game of Saturday’s tournament.

Saydel won the coin toss and was the home team against Newton. After two scoreless innings, Newton got on the scoreboard.

Just after freshman pitcher Anna Coyle got out of a jam — two-on and no outs — with a bunt in the air caught by catcher Valtman and two strikeouts in the bottom of the second, Newton went to work in the top of the third. Jenkins and Karley Leiker had back-to-back singles and moved up to third and second on a sacrifice fly by Ryan.

Valtman’s sacrifice fly was deep enough to drive in Jenkins. Jenkins beat the throw to the plate, which was bobbled by the Saydel catcher.

The Cardinals protected their 1-0 lead. Coyle pitched out of another two-on situation in the fourth inning with a strikeout. Coyle had nine strikeouts in the game and allowed nine hits.

In the fifth inning, senior Fran Lucas reached on an Eagle error, ending up at second base. Jenkins doubled down the third-base line to drive in a run and beat the throw in to third base. Karley Leiker’s fielder’s choice plated Jenkins for a 3-0 lead.

Saydel connected for singles to center field with one gone in the sixth. Coyle struck out the next batter and issued her only walk of the game to load the bases. The Eagles’ pinch-hitter Sophia Barton lined out to Fran Lucas at second base to end the threat and inning.

The Eagles got a single with two gone in the bottom of the seventh. Annelisee Barton hit a fly ball to shallow left field. Newton junior Harlie Durr came in to make the catch to retire the side and end the game.

Jenkins had a single and a double against Saydel while Karley Leiker and Ryan each had two singles. Valtman and senior Kari Adams each had a single.

CMB led Des Moines Roosevelt 5-0, but the Roughriders tied the game with five unearned runs in the second inning. The Raiders were able to manufacture three runs in the sixth inning to take the lead for good, 8-5.

Abbey Kahler earned her fifth pitching victory of the season in the circle. She allowed nine hits and recorded seven strikeouts.

Eslinger connected for two singles and a double for the Raiders. Camp, Houge and Holly Jessen each hit two singles. Husak, Abbey Kahler and Jurgens had a single apiece.

In the extra game against Benton, Benton scored four runs in the second, one in the fourth and five more in the fifth for a run-rule shortened contest against CMB. Houge took the pitching loss, giving up 13 hits, issuing one walk and striking out four.

Jurgens doubled in the game. Eslinger, Houge and Holly Jessen each had a single.

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