July 16, 2025

Newton softball splits two at Rick Doran Classic

By Newton Daily

Newton senior Maddison Thayer singled, doubled, tripled and homered in the Cardinals' two games in Iowa City on Friday. Newton split its two contests against Class 5A No. 9 Muscatine and host Iowa City West. (Troy Hyde)

IOWA CITY — Maddison Thayer led Newton’s softball team at the plate on Friday during a pair of games at the 32nd Annual Rick Doran Classic hosted by Iowa City West.

Thayer had three hits during the Cardinals’ 7-3 win over Iowa City West in the team’s second game of the day. Newton lost its tournament opener 5-1 to Class 5A No. 9 Muscatine, but Thayer hit a solo home run in that loss.

The two-game split kept Newton at above .500 on the season. The Cardinals are now 15-14.

In the five-inning win over Iowa City West (14-22), Thayer singled, doubled and tripled, scored two runs and had an RBI. Mac Brown and Kameron Johnston both had two hits. Johnston had two RBIs and scored a run, while Brown had one run and one RBI.

Lakin Jenkins, Peyton Maher, Chassidy Henwood and Kya Butler had the other four hits. Butler, Henwood and Johnston all doubled.

Maher, Taylor Lust and Vanessa Vasseau all scored one run. Henwood and Butler each had an RBI. Vasseau and Anna Bebout both walked once.

Maher earned the win in the circle, allowing no earned runs on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks in 4 2/3 innings. Lust got the final out with a strikeout. The Cardinals committed three errors.

State-ranked Muscatine (26-7) scored one in the first inning and then went up 5-0 after Kaylie Reynolds’ grand slam in the third. Thayer’s solo home run in the seventh was the only run of the game for the Cardinals.

The other five Newton hits came from Brown, Henwood, Vasseau, Butler and Malarie Zach.

Maher threw all six innings for the Cardinals and took the loss after surrendering four earned runs on three hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks.

The Cardinals host 4A No. 7 Dallas Center-Grimes at 7 p.m. on Monday in Newton. They host 4A No. 11 Norwalk for a doubleheader at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.