March 19, 2024

Short-handed Cardinals fall to LHC rival Grinnell

GRINNELL — Down four starters, the Newton Cardinal baseball team struggled in the first two innings Friday against Grinnell and never recovered.

The Cardinals fell behind the Tigers 7-1 after two innings and lost 9-2 during Little Hawkeye Conference play.

Newton coach Dustin Brisel said four regulars to the Cardinal lineup missed the game but wouldn’t comment on the reason.

“We got some other guys some experience, that’s one positive from those guys not being here,” Brisel said. “They tried their best.”

The Cardinals were held to just five hits by Grinnell freshman Jayden Gibson. Gibson (3-2) fanned 11 and walked zero in the complete-game victory.

Brennan Dodd and Duncan Lee had four of the team’s five hits. Both Dodd and Lee finished with two hits apiece, while Dodd and Trevor Ergenbright each scored a run. Ergenbright had the other hit, too.

Ryan Hollibaugh finished with four hits and two RBIs for Grinnell (5-18 overall, 3-12 in LHC play). Ethan Mitchell was 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBIs and a walk. Isaac Kracht also had three hits.

Newton (5-15, 2-9) scored first in the top of the first. Dodd singled and then scored on Lee’s RBI double.

Grinnell plated four in the bottom of the first and then went up 7-1 with three more in the second. After the Cardinals got one back off a Grinnell error in the sixth, the hosts put the game away with a two-run bottom half of the inning.

Dodd started the game but allowed five runs in the first inning. He allowed three hits and walked three. Ergenbright tossed the final five innings, allowing three earned runs on nine hits. He walked three and struck out four.

“We struggled on the hill early and are just pressing too much right now,” Brisel said.

The Cardinals return to action at 5:30 p.m. Monday when they host LHC rival Oskaloosa for a varsity doubleheader at Eversman Field.