Five Cardinals receive LHC softball honors

For the second straight year, Newton High’s Peyton Maher and Mac Brown received All-Little Hawkeye Conference second-team honors. The two seniors were the Cardinals’ top two hitters in conference play and overall.

Maher was the top LHC pitcher in strikeouts — 120 — and in opponent batting average — .146. Brown tied for first in doubles hit during conference play. She also tied with fellow Newton senior Maddison Thayer for most home runs — 3 — in conference play.

Newton senior Lakin Jenkins joined her two teammates on the second team as the 2019 All-Little Hawkeye Conference softball teams were announced at the end of last week. The three LHC teams playing in state tournaments — Oskaloosa and Dallas Center-Grimes in 4A and Indianola in 5A — finished up action so the coaches all-conference selections could be released.

Thayer and sophomore Chassidy Henwood garnered LHC honorable mention honors.

Maher was Newton’s starting pitcher going 10-6 in LHC action and finished 16-10 overall as the Cardinals went 18-16 overall. The Cardinals were 10-11 in LHC games finishing fifth.

Brown started all 34 games at third base for the Cardinals. Jenkins played left field and center field for Newton while Thayer was in left field and center field. Henwood was the team’s starting shortstop.

Little Hawkeye Champion Indianola (20-1) went 1-1 at the 5A state tournament last week in Fort Dodge, losing to Johnston 3-2 then beating Ottumwa 4-1 in consolation action. Dallas Center-Grimes and Oskaloosa lost their opening round games at the 4A state tournament — 4-3 to Charles City and 3-2 to North Scott, respectively, and faced off in consolation play with DCG winning 1-0.

Four LHC teams finished ranked in the final regular-season polls. Indianola was fourth in Class 5A. In Class 4A, DCG was 7th, Norwalk was 13th and Oskaloosa was 14th.

Norwalk (13-7) was second in the LHC with DCG (12-8) third and Oskaloosa (10-10) taking fourth. Grinnell (7-14) was sixth followed by Pella Christian (5-15) and Pella (5-16).

Maher had the most innings pitched — 112 — among LHC pitchers and was third with a Earned Run Average of 1.00. She allowed 70 hits and 45 runs. She issued only five walks but hit 10 batters.

Maher was fourth in LHC with a .437 batting average and she had eight doubles, which was fourth in the conference. She was sixth in RBIs with 16 in LHC games. She had 31 hits.

Maher finished with 205 strikeouts this season as she went 16-10 from the circle. She notched 653 strikeouts for her five-year Newton career. She ended up with a 1.11 ERA, giving up 88 runs and 128 hits. She issued 44 walks.

At the plate, Maher had a .419 batting average for the season with 45 hits and12 doubles. She drove in 27 runs and scored eight runs.

Brown was No. 2 on the team with a .388 batting average in LHC action but No. 1 overall for Newton at .420. She was 12th in the conference with her .388. She had 26 hits and had one home run against LHC teams. She drive in eight runs and scored 23.

Brown was 10-of-12 on stolen base attempts. She had a .687 slugging percentage against LHC opponents. She had a fielding average of .861 in the hot corner with 11 errors.

Overall for the season, Brown had a .700 slugging percentage with a team-leading 16 doubles, She led the Cardinals with 36 runs scored and 17 earned walks. She had 42 hits, three triples and two home runs.

Brown had 13 errors for the entire season. She had a .879 fielding average.

Jenkins was a steady force in the outfield for Newton, playing in left field to open the season but ended up as the center fielder. She was third in base stealing, 12-of-12, among LHC players in conference games. She hit at a .280 clip in LHC play with 21 hits, four doubles, 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

Jenkins had a fielding average of .938 with two errors for LHC games. Overall, she had three errors on the season with a .925 fielding average.

Jenkins finished the season with a .299 batting average with 11 RBIs. She had 32 hits and four doubles. She scored 23 runs and was 14-of-14 on stolen base attempts.

Thayer hit two of her team-leading five home runs during LHC play, which put her in a seven-way ti for fourth in the conference. She hit. 229 with 16 hits, four doubles and three triples in conference games. She drove in 14 runs and scored nine.

Thayer started in center field then moved to right field for Newton. She had 10 errors with a .565 fielding average against LHC teams. That was all the errors she had for the season with a .667 fielding average.

For the season, Thayer hit .265 and led Newton with 26 RBIs and five triples. She had five doubles and 26 hits. She scored 18 runs and was 3-for-3 on stole base attempts.

Henwood led the LHC in hit by pitch as she reached base by getting hit seven times. She was hit by a pitch eight times for the season.

Henwood hit .254 in conference games with 17 hits, four RBIs and 10 runs scored. She was 5-for-5 on stolen base attempts. Henwood at shortstop had nine errors with a .857 field average.

For the season, Henwood was a .293 hitter with 27 hits, two doubles and drove in nine runs. She scored 17 runs. She had 12 errors and an .864 field average.

2019 Little Hawkeye Conference
All-Conference Softball Selections
First Team

*Kate Kralik, Indianola, So., pitcher
Haley Downe, Norwalk, So., pitcher
Sammie Becker, Indianola, Sr., catcher
*Kamryn O'Brien, Dallas Center-Grimes, Jr., infielder
Megan Doty, Grinnell, Sr., infielder
Ashley Kindley, Oskaloosa, Sr., infielder
Katie Heaverlo, Norwalk, Jr., infielder
Cheyanne Collins, Pella Christian, Jr., infielder
Jayden Lammers, Norwalk, So., outfielder
*Chloe Morgan, Pella Christian, Jr., outfielder
Gracey May, Indianola, Sr., outfielder
*Molly Cooney, Dallas Center-Grimes, Jr., utility/DH
Brooke Tucker, Indianola, Sr., utility/DH
Madison Parks, Pella, Sr., utility/DH
*Unanimous selection

Second Team

Hayle Hacker, Oskaloosa, So., pitcher
Peyton Maher, Newton, Sr., pitcher
Kaitlyn Krigel, Grinnell, So., catcher
Mac Brown, Newton, Sr., infielder
Kylie Merical, Dallas Center-Grimes, So., infielder
Elly Cairney, Pella, Sr., infielder
Hanna Behrens, Grinnell, So., infielder
Ivy Terpstra, Pella Christian, Sr., infielder
Madison Rempe, Pella, Sr., outfielder
Lakin Jenkins, Newton, Sr., outfielder
Kiana Kies, Grinnell, Sr., outfielder
Meghan Moorman, Oskaloosa, Jr., utility/DH
Destiny Lewis, Indianola, So., utility/DH
Lauren Osborn, Dallas Center-Grimes, Sr., utility/DH
Honorable Mention: Newton-Chassidy Henwood, So., Madison Thayer, Sr.; Dallas Center-Grimes-Morgan Rosenbeck, So., Erica Manning, Sr.; Grinnell-Lindsey Hollibaugh, So., Ella McAlexander, So.; Norwalk-Emily Ellis, Jr., Briley Sodergren, Sr.; Oskaloosa-Ava Vandewall, Jr., Taylor Wills, Jr.; Pella-Alizabeth VanDusseldrop, Sr., Sidnie VanVark, Sr.; Pella Christian-Emerson Sarver, Jr., Natalie Harrlll, Fr.; Indianola-Kassie Baker, Jr., Emily Chaplin, Sr.

Little Hawkeye Conference
2019 Softball Final Standings

Team Conference Overall
Indianola 20-1 34-5
Norwalk 13-7 20-15
Dallas Center-Grimes 12-8 25-15
Oskaloosa 10-10 25-16
Newton 10-11 18-16
Grinnell 7-14 12-19
Pella Christian 5-15 14-20
Pella 5-16 13-19

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