Cardiac Cards rally, now all alone in first

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PELLA — The Newton softball team has grown accustomed to playing extra-inning games on the road in conference play.

Having already recorded a nine-inning win at Oskaloosa and a 14-inning victory at Pella, the Cardinals played in another extra-inning game at Pella Christian on Monday.

And it took a run in the seventh inning to allow the game to continue as Newton rallied past Pella Christian with a four-run eighth inning to win 5-4 over the Class 2A No. 14 Eagles.

“We have been done there and done that,” said Newton coach Gary Grimes of playing another extra-inning affair. “We know how to play when the game goes into extra innings.”

The Cardinals are 4-3 in extra inning games this season but are 3-1 in conference play. All three wins came on the road and Monday’s win over Pella Christian keeps the Cardinals on top of the Little Hawkeye Conference standings at 10-2. The Eagles are now 9-3 but are essentially two games back of Newton after the Cardinals swept the season series.

“We got to play one game at a time,” said Grimes on the subject of leading the conference. “I have said this before. There is no gimme games for us. Oskaloosa will be tough on Wednesday and Norwalk will be tough on Thursday.”

Pella Christian’s first run of the game came from its first batter of the first inning. Newton did not get on the board until the seventh. Freshman Brittney Northcott singled to start the seventh then went to second on a passed ball and to third on a Val Humke single. Northcott eventually tied the game after an infield RBI single by Nicole George got the job done. Humke tried to give Newton the lead on the play but was called out at home.

Humke had three hits on the night to lead the offense. Northcott had two hits, including a two-run single in the eighth inning that helped the Cardinals secure the road victory.

“Brittney got into the lineup by the process of Megan (Sinnwell) getting hurt,” Grimes said. “But she is doing well so we have stuck with her.”

After Newton tied it at 1 in the seventh, freshman Courtney Meyer got out of a small jam in the Eagles’ half of the seventh to force extras.

In the eighth, the Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs. Caitlyn Meyer walked to start the inning, Mallory Sturtz reached on a bunt single and Courtney Meyer loaded them up with an infield single. Sinnwell gave the Cardinals the lead as she was hit by a pitch and then Northcott brought in two with a two-run single up the middle. Sinnwell scored the fourth run following a wild pitch by Pella Christian starter Paige Blom.

Nothing has been easy for Newton on the road this year, and Pella Christian made sure that trend continued on Monday. Like Newton, the Eagles put three on base before an out was recorded. After a strikeout by Courtney Meyer, an error on Newton’s outfield made it 5-2 before a two-run single Blom cut the Cardinals’ lead to just one.

However, with two outs, Courtney Meyer ended the game with one final strikeout, and the Cardinals escaped with the 5-4 win.

“It’s just a matter of believing in the girls and having the girls believe in themselves,” Grimes said. “I know we are capable.”

It wasn’t the best performance of the season for Courtney Meyer, but the freshman battled through some tough innings and had enough to get the victory. She allowed three earned runs on just four hits and walked three while fanning eight. She is now 18-4 on the season and has 98 strikeouts.

Blom took the loss in the circle for Pella Christian. She allowed five earned runs on 11 hits and also struck out 11. She walked three and hit two Newton batters, as well.

Before the seventh inning, the Cardinals left a lot to be desired on offense. They were retired in order in the first but stranded two runners on base in the second and left them loaded in the third. They left eight runners on base in the game.

Courtney Meyer gave up the early run but also stranded a runner on third in the first inning. She retired the Eagles in order in the second, fourth and fifth innings and pitched around minimal trouble in the third and sixth innings.

Notes: Caitlyn Meyer leads the Newton offense with a .487 batting average and also has a team-high five home runs and 28 RBIs. Monday, Pella Christian made sure someone else was going to beat them as Newton’s senior catcher walked three times. ... Courtney Meyer and Northcott each had two hits in the game. ... Three of Pella Christian’s four hits came from Shelby Weaver. Weaver reached base all four times in the game as she also reached on an error in the first. ... The win pushes Newton’s overall mark to 18-9 on the season. Pella Christian falls to 22-7. ... Newton will host Oskaloosa on Wednesday and Norwalk on Thursday. Both games begin at 7:30 p.m. at Berg Middle School.

Newton 5, Pella Christian 4 (eight innings)
R H E
NHS 000 000 14 — 5 11 2
PCH 100 000 03 — 4 4 0
N: Courtney Meyer 8K, 3BB and Caitlyn Meyer. PC: Paige Blom 11K, 3BB, 2HBP and Paige Fynaardt. W — Meyer. L — Blom. Multiple hitters — N : Humke: 3, Courtney Meyer 2, Northcott 2. PC: Weaver 3. RBI — N: Northcott 2, Sinnwell 1, George 1. PC: Blom 2, Fynaardt 1.