March 29, 2024

Cardinals’ rally falls short against Eagles

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On Senior Night, Newton High’s baseball team wouldn’t give up. The Cardinals scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the hole was too big to climb out of against visiting Pella Christian.

The Eagles led 9-0 before the seventh-inning scoring onslaught by the Cardinals. Pella Christian won the Little Hawkeye Conference game, 9-6.

“Our guys battled. They didn’t drop their heads and fold. I’m proud of that,” Newton head coach Dustin Brisel said. “We had the one bad inning, which is the story of our season. What could go wrong for us did in that inning.”

Pella Christian had a 1-0 lead on a solo home run by Kade Vander Molen in the third inning. The Eagles extended their lead in a five-run fourth inning helped by several throwing and fielding miscues by the Cardinals.

“We just struggled all the way around in that inning. We couldn’t field, we could throw and we couldn’t find the strike zone,” Brisel said.

Newton ended the Eagles’ fourth with a double play when senior Keith Steinbach caught a fly ball and threw to senior Tyler Stanton to double off an Eagle runner at second base. The damage had been done.

Pella Christian added two runs in the sixth and another run in the top of the seventh.

Steinbach reached first on catcher’s interference to open the Newton seventh inning. Sophomore Cole Cazett drew a walk then Stanton was hit by a pitch with one out to load the bases. Senior Brennen Dodd plated a run when he reached on an Eagle error.

The Cardinals scored on a wild pitch followed by senior Trey Vanderlaan walked to load the bases again. Another wild pitch yielded a run for Newton then sophomore Ty Arguello doubled to drive in two more runs.

Ryan Barr, a sophomore, reached on an error as Arguello advanced to third base. A balk by the Pella Christian pitcher allowed Arguello to score. Unfortunately, the Cardinals couldn’t come all the way back as the next two batters struck out to end the game.

Vanderlaan took the pitching loss. He threw five innings as the Newton starter allowing six runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out two. Junior Trevor Ergenbright pitched two innings, giving up three runs on four hits and one walk.

Dodd hit two singles and Arguello doubled. Stanton and Vanderlaan each had a single.

Before the game, the Cardinals honored their six seniors — Steinbach, Josh Gulling, Reagan Maple, Stanton, Vanderlaan and Dodd — and their parents.

Newton finished 4-16 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. The Cardinals (7-25) have four more games remaining in their regular season.

They play at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Des Moines East. They play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Class 3A No. 4 Saydel.

Newton plays at 3A No. 9 Knoxville on Monday and wraps up the regular season at South Tama on Tuesday.

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