April 25, 2024

Pella deals out LHC losses to Cardinals

By Jocelyn Sheets

Scooping up the ball is Newton High second baseman Tyler Stanton to retire a Pella batter during Monday’s first game of a doubleheader at Newton’s Eversman Field. Third-ranked Pella beat Newton 3-1 and 6-1 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. (Jocelyn Sheets)

Newton High head baseball coach Dustin Brisel said he sounds like a broken record.

“When we start hitting the ball, we’ll win,” Brisel said again after a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader loss at home Monday against Class 3A third-ranked Pella. “The boys are working hard at the plate, and we put the ball in play tonight. We just didn’t string hits together to score runs.”

In the opener, the Cardinals had five hits on a 3-1 loss to the visiting Little Dutch. Connor Gholson took the pitching loss, going the distance on the mound for the Cardinals.

“Connor threw well, and we played solid defense behind him. Pella hits the ball well and finds the gaps, which is why it is one of the top teams in the state right now,,” Brisel said.

Pella’s ace senior Grant Judkins, who is heading to the University of Iowa to play, was on the mound in the second game. Judkins limited the Cardinals two hits, issued two walks and struck out nine in a 6-1 win for the Dutch.

“We scratched out a run against Judkins. It was good for our guys to have the opportunity to face a Division I pitcher like this,” Brisel said.

Judkins helped himself with a three-run home run over the right field fence in the first inning against Newton starter Brennen Dodd. Pella scored single runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings.

Dodd went five innings for the loss, giving up five runs on six hits and six walks. Dodd struck out two. Josh Gulling pitched two innings in relief, charged with one run on one hit and five walks.

Gholson had the two hits, both singles, for Newton against Judkins. In the sixth inning, Newton trailed 6-0 when Gulling reached on a two-out error. Duncan Lee drew a walk and Gholson hit an RBI single.

In the opener, Pella struck first with a run in the top of the first inning. Newton matched it in the bottom of the third frame.

Lee connected for a two-out double and Keith Steinback went in as a courtesy runner for Lee. Gholson delivered an RBI single. Pella took advantage of a couple of walks and hits to produce single runs in the fourth and sixth innings.

Newton wasn’t able to respond, losing 3-1. Pella’s Tyler Hillman got the win and had seven strikeouts.

Gholson had two singles in the opener. Lee doubled. Dodd and Reagan Maple each had a single.

The Cardinals fall to 5-8 on the season and 2-5 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. They play a 7:30 p.m. non-conference game Tuesday against Adel-DeSoto-Minburn at Adel.

Newton is home Wednesday in LHC play. The Cardinals play a 7:30 p.m. game against Norwalk at Eversman Field in Woodland Park.

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