Newton girls go 1-2 at North Butler

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GREENE — The Newton offense struggled to score runs and a controversial call in the final game led the Cardinals softball team to a 1-2 record Saturday at the North Butler Invite in Greene. The Cardinals defeated Central Springs, 2-0, but came away with a 2-1 loss to Vinton and a 3-2 extra-innings defeat at the hands of Lake Mills. Against Central Springs, NHS scored one run in the second and another in the third but had just three hits in the game and went down looking five times. “Central Springs was a very good ball team,” NHS coach Gary Grimes said. “We were not as aggressive as we should have been.” Grimes said Tiffany Hegwood being out because of an injury and Kati Herr missing the tournament due to ACT testing didn’t help the offense, either. In the second, sophomore Amanda Jones walked and then was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Shelby Damman. Jones scored later following an RBI double by sophomore Val Humke. Courtney Meyer began the third inning with a walk and then pinch runner Taryn Gardner stole second. Caitlyn Meyer moved Gardner to third after a ground out to second and then Mallory Sturtz’s ground out to first knocked in the final run. Humke got the win on the mound. She tossed a two hitter and struck out six. Courtney Meyer threw the second game for the Cardinals and allowed one earned run in the loss. She struck out five as Vinton scored one in the first and an unearned run in the fifth. Meyer allowed just two hits in the game, and Newton committed three errors in the fifth inning. “Courtney allowed just two hits but struggled in that first inning before finding her groove,” Grimes said. NHS had just two hits at the plate — one each from Julie Beukema and Caitlyn Meyer — and fanned 11 times. “We just didn’t have any offense,” Grimes said. “Again, we struggled when we had runners on.” The third and final game of the tournament was decided in extra innings and ended with a bit of controversy. The seventh and eighth innings were both played under international rules, where the last out of the previous inning begins on second base. Lake Mills scored the final run of the game in the eighth inning after a foul out near the fence was caught by catcher Caitlyn Meyer. The Lake Mills player scored from third following the catch but, according to Newton players and coaches, the runner failed to tag up properly. The Cardinals appealed the call, but the umpires did not grant the appeal and called the game over. “This was a game where bad judgement by the officials cost us the deciding run,” Grimes said. Damman pitched her first significant varsity innings on the mound for Newton but came away with a no decision. She gave up a two-run homer in the sixth before Humke came in, threw the final two innings and was given the loss. “Shelby was leaving her pitches up and I should have made a pitching change earlier in the game,” Grimes said. “She threw an excellent game for us, but I should have made the switch earlier.” The Cardinals finished with five hits in the game. Newton grabbed the lead with two runs in the third inning. Beukema singled and then took second on an error and then scored after another Lake Mills error was made. Sturtz reached base on an error and eventually scored following an RBI double by Megan Sinwell. NHS will travel to Knoxville tonight before hosting Pella Christian on Wednesday.