Cardinals deck 2A No. 7 CMB

Smarting from an eight-inning loss at Norwalk on Friday night, Newton High’s Cardinals took it out on Class 2A seventh-ranked Collins-Maxwell/Baxter in a softball game Saturday in Newton’s tournament.

The Cardinals pounded out 13 hits against CMB’s senior pitcher Abbey Kahler. Kahler gave up two home runs in the game — two-run shots by sophomore Emily Valtman and senior Bailey Davis.

Newton powered its way to an 11-5 win in six innings over the Raiders. The Raiders rallied to win 3-2 in eight innings over Class 4A second-ranked Benton before taking on the Cardinals. CMB finished its day at Newton’s Agnes Patterson Park with a 13-1 win over South Hardin in three innings.

The Cardinals only had one game in their home tournament because Des Moines North pulled out of it late in the week.

“We came from a really hard loss Friday night, and we were determined to come back with a lot of fire,” Davis said. “We knew we’d face a good pitcher at Norwalk and another good pitcher today against CMB. We just want to keep this fire going into next week.”

Valtman had a monster game at the plate for Newton against CMB. Valtman went 3-for-4 with a home run, a single and a ground-rule double. Davis doubled and had her first high school career home run.

Davis doubled with one out in the first inning then with two gone, Valtman planted a Kahler pitch over the center field fence. Newton held a 2-0 lead after one complete inning after sophomore starting pitcher Anna Coyle worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the frame.

“It was a high pitch and right down the middle,” Valtman said of Kahler’s offering. “I sprinted after I hit it until I saw it went over as I came around second base. Coach (Kristina McNew) says we seem to wait until the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to really start hitting the ball. Today, it was great to come out and hit the ball well from the first inning on. This was a big win for us.”

Kahler led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run over the center field fence. It was Kahler’s first home run of the season. It was a hitter’s day with the strong breeze blowing out from home plate.

Newton stayed out front of CMB throughout the game. The Cardinals produced a run with two gone in the third inning. Valtman connected for a single and scored on a error on a ball hit to left field by Taylor Ryan.

CMB got the run back in its half of the third. Heather Jessen singled and scored on back-to-back Newton errors.

Up 3-2, the Cardinals kept the pressure on as Kennedy Leiker drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Harlie Durr. Karley Leiker drove in her sister with an RBI base hit which was followed by Davis’ two-run blast.

“It was a low inside pitch, which is my worst pitch to hit,” Davis said. “I just wanted to keep things going for our team.”

Davis said the Cardinals were helped in the game by having all their players available and starting in the regular positions. She said Newton’s two pitcher did a great job against a hard-hitting CMB lineup.

The Raiders scored three runs in their fourth inning at bat. Mikayla Eslinger singled and ended up at third on an error.

Hannah Caple was safe at first when Ryan pulled her foot off the bag to take the throw and Eslinger scored.

Holly Jessen drove a two-run home run over the center field fence to pull the Raiders to within one run, 6-5. The Raiders put two more runners on base with one out on a single and a walk. Coyle coaxed two fly balls to retire the Raiders.

Valtman opened the fifth for Newton with a ground-rule double. Rilee Slycord singled and Audrey Lucas drove in a run with a base hit.

Kennedy Leiker moved the runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt then Lakin Jenkins delivered a two-run pinch-hit single.

Peyton Maher came on if relief of Coyle in the circle two work two innings against the Raiders. She hit Kahler with a pitch in the bottom of the fifth then struck out the side.

Newton added two more runs in the sixth as Davis reached on an error and Maher singled. With on gone, Ryan drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Slycord doubled to plate another run.

The Cardinals got a ground-out for the first out of the bottom of the sixth and Maher struck out Jordynn Wesselink and Megan Ritter to end the game.

Anna Coyle got the pitching win, working four innings and giving up five runs on five hits and one walk. She struck out two. Maher picked up the save in two innings of work with no hits, one hit batter and five strikeouts.

“My curve ball and drop ball were working well today,” Coyle said after the game. “My teammates played good defense behind me and Peyton. We also had good hits and scored runs.”

Maher said she went in thinking she just wanted to get three outs in a row as the Cardinal reliever. She said her curve and rise ball pitches worked well against the Raiders.

Kahler took the loss in the circle for CMB. She allowed 13 hits and walked one. Kahler (3-4) added 10 strikeouts to her team-leading total, which grew to 56.

For Newton, Slycord and Lucas each had a single and a double. Karley Leiker, Maher, Ryan and Jenkins.

“I’m very proud of my team so far. I didn’t play last year, so I’m very excited to come back and be a part of this team,” Davis said of the Cardinals. “I believe we have a great chance to reach state if we continue to play up to our potential.”

For CMB, Kahler and Holly Jessen each had a home run. Hitting a single each were Eslinger, Heather Jessen and Wesselink.

The Raiders won its first game of the day in a wild finish against the Benton Bobcats.

After giving up a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning, Holly Jessen delivered a tying solo home run with one gone in the bottom of the frame. Coupled with he two-run shot against Newton, Holly Jessen has three home runs for the season.

CMB and Benton headed to extra innings under the international tiebreaker rule — teams start innings with a runner at second base. Freshman pitcher Mikayla Houge and the Raider defense were able to retire the Bobcats in order in the top of the eighth inning.

Wesselink was the CMB base runner at second to open the bottom of the eighth inning. Ritter drew a walk from Benton pitcher Grace Martensen. No. 1 bunt into the air resulted in the first out.

Houge put the ball in play, but the Bobcats threw home to get Wesselink attempting to score for the second out. Benton’s catcher made an errant throw to second trying to get the third out as Houge went to second. Ritter kept running and scored standing up at home for the 3-2 win.

CMB broke a scoreless tie with a run in the fifth inning against Benton. Holly Jessen walked and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Jillian Holst. Ritter reached on an error by the Benton left fielder which allowed Holly Jessen to score.

Benton took the lead when it took advantage of an infield single and CMB error followed by an RBI squeeze bunt in the top of the seventh. Holly Jessen tied the game 2-2 with her home run in bottom of the inning.

CMB had just three hits in the game — Holly Jessen’s home run and singles by Eslinger and Veronica Condon. Houge went to 6-0 on the season in the circle as she allowed five hits, walked one and struck out 11 to push her total strikeouts for the season to 54.

The Raiders finished the day with a 13-1 thumping of South Hardin in three innings. No details on the game were available by presstime. CMB is 12-4 on the season and plays at 7 p.m. Monday in Heart of Iowa Conference action at Nevada.

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