Cardinals playing strong at state tourney

We’re going to go out there, go after third and make Newton softball history. — Newton’s Mackensie Brown.

No matter the outcome of Friday’s third-place game, Newton High’s Cardinals have left no doubt they belonged at in the Class 4A 2018 Iowa Girls’ High School State Softball Championships.

The Cardinals are 1-1 in tournament play — winning by one run and losing by one run.

“This one can hurt, but we learn from this one and move on,” senior Harlie Durr said after a heartbreaking 9-8 loss to top-seeded ADM on Wednesday in semifinal action. “We’ve got the fighting spirit and we’re going after third place.”

Despite being 24-7 going into the 4A state softball tournament and seeded No. 4, there were people not seeing the Cardinals winning at all on the big stage in Fort Dodge. After all, a Newton softball team hadn’t been to the summer state tournament since 1983 and to the now-nonexistent fall state tournament in 1986.

Newton had only four winning seasons since 2009, when the Cardinal team went 24-11. The Cardinals had a 17-15 season in 2011, went 21-11 in 2012 and were 21-9 in 2016. They did have seasons of 16-17 and 16-18 in 2015 and 2017.

Newton is one of three Little Hawkeye Conference teams at the softball tournament this week. Dallas Center-Grimes joined the Cardinals in 4A, finishing tied for seventh with Charles City.

Indianola is playing for the 5A state championship Friday. Three of Newton’s seven regular-season losses were to Indianola. Senior pitcher Sydney Sickles set a record with 16 strikeouts in a 5A tournament game as the Indians beat Cedar Rapids Jefferson in semifinal action Wednesday.

Casey Price, who played on both the Newton teams which competed in the state tournaments in the 1980s, is in her first season as Cardinal head coach. She brought her college coaching experience and applied it to how she and her coaching staff have instructed the 2018 Cardinal team.

“These kids have come so far in one year’s time and to get to the state tournament is tremendous,” Price said. “I give credit to these kids. They are a working group I tell you.”

Price talked of how the Cardinal players want more and more from her and the assistant coaches. She said they are asking if they can come hit, if coaches will watch them and want the feedback to improve.

“These kids are interested in learning especially since they could be thinking ‘these coaches are crazy to throw so much at us,’” Price said.

“We weren’t too crazy, and it all made sense in what we were doing. It has definitely helped in our performance. Our pitching staff has gotten better. We’re peaking at the right time and that’s what we wanted to do.”

Newton opened the 2018 state tournament with an dramatic 1-0 win against Cedar Rapids Xavier. It was a walk-off solo home run by junior Emily Valtman — her eighth home run of the season — in the bottom of the seventh inning.

“Most people know what I’ve done so I was ready to be walked again. I’m also ready to hit any pitch they throw at me,” Valtman said. “This is so exciting to be at the state tournament. Winning here helps us move forward as a team and a program.”

Durr, who plays left field for Newton, had several catches in the opener and had a big hit in the second game, said it was an awesome feeling to get to the state tournament and win the first game.

Newton has six seniors — Durr, Karley Leiker, Kennedy Leiker, Audrey Lucas, Mackenzie Johnson and Taylor Ryan — leading the way. All have helped build the program the past five seasons. They all had a part in the two state games on defense or at the plate.

Junior third baseman Mackensie Brown, whose quote leads off this column for me, hit her second home run of the season in Wednesday’s loss to ADM. She was 3-of-4, scored three runs and drove in two runs.

Newton has a strong core of juniors and sophomores to carry on the work established this season. It also has freshmen and eighth-graders working into solid positions.

“We’re not done with these kids. We finish up Friday with our seniors then the rest have more to learn as we move forward as a program,” Price said.

Right now, the Cardinals have Sergeant Bluff-Luton on their minds along with claiming third place on Friday and making history.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets
at jsheets@newtondailynews.com