Newton baseball wins again, routs Chariton

Kael Swarts reached base four times and tossed four shutout innings on the mound, the Cardinals scored at least one run in each inning and Newton’s baseball team dominated Chariton 12-0 in five innings at Woodland Park on Thursday.

The Cardinals recorded three wins total in the previous two seasons but are already 2-0 this summer under new head coach Brad Kahler.

“I am glad to see the work we’ve put in is paying off early,” Kahler said. “We can’t think right now that we are the greatest team in the world just like if we were 0-2 we can’t think that we are the worst team. We just need to keep doing the little things.”

Newton (2-0) scored four runs in the first inning, two in the second and five in the third.

The Cardinals ended the game after five innings with another run in the bottom of the fourth. Newton also left the bases loaded in the second.

Newton had 10 hits total. Swarts and Brody Bauer, who batted in the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the order, had three hits apiece.

One of Bauer’s hits was a double and he added three RBIs. Swarts tallied one RBI and he walked once.

Kacey Sommers chipped in two hits and four RBIs. He also walked once and scored a run.

“Those three are swinging it well,” Kahler said. “I have Kael in the lead-off position because we need guys at the top of the lineup who can get on base. It was nice to see the bats come alive early in the game.”

Turner Williams also doubled, walked twice and had one RBI, Evan Grimm walked once and scored two runs and Drew Thompson had one hit, one walk and one RBI.

The Cardinals drew eight walks in the game. Tade Vanderlaan had one walk and one run and Braydon Chance walked once.

“It was a tight zone, but we’ve had a great mental approach so far,” Kahler said. “If it’s a strike, I tell them to swing early. But we are taking pitches that are not in the zone, which is a good thing.”

Charlton (0-4) had four hits in the game.

Swarts got the win on the mound after allowing no runs on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk in four innings. He threw just 57 pitches.

Grimm tossed the final inning, allowing no runs on two hits and one walk.