Cardinals’ 7th-inning rally beats No. 14 Boone

Through five complete innings, Newton High’s Cardinal softball team led the visiting Class 4A No. 14 Boone Toreadors, 2-1. Then things got even more interesting in the final two innings of Tuesday’s non-conference game.

Zoey Hightshoe’s three-run home run in the sixth put Boone on top 4-2. Newton produced a run in its half of the sixth.

In the seventh, the Toreadors added a run to lead 5-3.

Newton’s Peyton Maher reached on an error to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Chassidy Henwood singled then Maddison Thayer hit into a fielder’s choice.

With one out Taylor Lust singled in a run. The Cardinals had baserunners on second and third.

Malarie Zach delivered a double to center field to plate the tying and winning run. It was a 6-5 walk-off victory for the Cardinals at home.

“It was an awesome effort by everyone,” Newton head coach Casey Price said. “Mal Zach has really come around and is starting to put the ball in play.”

The victory pushed Newton over .500 for the season — 13-12. The Cardinals step back into Little Hawkeye Conference play Wednesday.

They are on the road at Pella for a 7:30 p.m. varsity start time. Newton is 7-9 in LHC games.

Maher went into Tuesday’s game 18 away from 600 career strikeouts. She racked up eight against the Toreadors. Maher allowed five hits and did not issue a free pass.

Newton had three errors defensively.

Boone scored a run in the first inning, taking advantage of two Cardinal errors. Newton got on the scoreboard in the third.

Mac Brown singled and Lakin Jenkins beat out a bunt for a hit. Maher drew walk. With two gone, Thayer hit a two-run single to put Newton up 2-1.

It stayed that way until the sixth. Ellen Castle and Emily Ades had back-to-back base hits for Boone. Hightshoe powered up a home run to push the Toreadors to a 4-2 lead.

Newton responded with a run in the bottom of the sixth. It started with a two-out single by Kya Butler. Brown bunted and was safe on a throwing error, which allowed Butler to score.

Boone (15-9) used an error by Newton with two outs in the seventh and a double by Castle to go up 5-3.

Then came the rally by the Cardinals.

Zach had a single and a double with two RBIs for Newton. Maher had a single and a double.

Thayer drove in two runs and Lust had an RBI. Hitting a single each were Thayer, Lust, Brown, Jenkins, Henwood and Butler.

Newton hosts 4A No. 11 Norwalk in LHC action Friday for a doubleheader.

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