March 29, 2024

Newton baseball splits with Oskaloosa, falls to Pella

Newton baseball coach Brad Kahler said his Cardinal team practices bunting all the time.

Bunting is no longer a popular thing in baseball, but Kahler said he will call for a bunt in a lot of different situations.

And that decision helped the Cardinals get into the win column during a home doubleheader against Oskaloosa on Wednesday during Little Hawkeye Conference play.

With runners on second and third and one out, Kahler asked Kacey Sommars to lay down a squeeze bunt and it worked to perfection as Drew Thompson took off for home on the wind up and scored the game-winning walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh to give Newton a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

The win helped the Cardinals split the doubleheader as Oskaloosa won the opener 3-0.

“I’m not afraid to do it,” Kahler said in reference to bunting. “We bunted several times in the game and the kids are willing to do it when we call it.”

The seventh inning of the nightcap started when Thompson drew a walk. Kael Swarts, arguably the best hitter on the team, then bunted Thompson over to second and it resulted in an Oskaloosa error.

With runners on first and second and nobody out, Brody Bauer moved both runners up a base with another bunt. And then a third bunt by Sommars won it.

Oskaloosa took a 2-0 lead with a two-run first inning, but Newton tied it with a two-run third. It remained 2-all until the seventh inning.

The Cardinals (3-3 overall, 1-2 in conference play) had five hits and four walks. The hits came from Swarts, Sommars, Turner Williams, Braydon Chance and Eli Stewart.

Chance doubled, walked once and stole a base to lead the offense. Swarts added a run and a walk, Sommars tallied an RBI and Williams scored a run.

Thompson walked and scored the winning run in the seventh and Tade Vanderlaan also walked once. Bauer had an RBI and collected three sacrifices.

Vanderlaan started on the mound and allowed no earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

Swarts (2-1) got the win in relief as he allowed no runs on no hits with two strikeouts in the seventh.

Aiden North finished with three hits to lead Oskaloosa (2-5, 1-2).

In the opener, Newton was held to four hits and one walk at the plate. Oskaloosa scored single runs in the first, third and sixth to win it.

Vanderlaan had one hit and one walk to lead the offense and Bauer had one hit and one steal. Thompson and Evan Grimm claimed the other hits.

Riley Mouchka started, took the loss and went 5 1/3 innings on the mound, allowing one earned run on four hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

Bauer tossed the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed no runs on no hits with two strikeouts and one hit batter.

Colin Snitker led Oskaloosa with a triple, one walk and two runs scored.

“It was nice to split our first doubleheader, but we didn’t have good plate appearances in the first game,” Kahler said. “We have to give ourselves a chance. We had some hard ground balls but Oskaloosa made the plays.”

Pella 8, Newton 2

Sommars and Chance each had two hits and Mouchka walked twice, but Newton couldn’t overcome a slow start against Pella on Friday night.

The Dutch plated six runs in the first inning and led 8-0 after three during an 8-2 road victory.

“We played right with them after the first inning,” Kahler said. “I called time with two outs in the first to go out and talk with the team. I told them ‘we have to just play, what’s done is done.’

“I was really happy with their fight and effort. We easily could have been run ruled. It’s a good sign from our team that we didn’t let it get away and kept playing.”

Sommars also scored a run and pitched for the first time this season. He threw 3 2/3 innings of relief and allowed just one hit with two strikeouts and three walks.

“I was really proud of his effort,” Kahler said. “Pella only had two hits after their six-run first inning. Kacey also is hitting the ball real well, too.”

Swarts started on the mound and took his first loss of the season. He allowed eight runs — four earned — on six hits with one strikeout, four walks and two hit batters in 2 1/3 innings.

Grimm tossed the final inning and allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout.

The other two hits came from Williams and Grimm, who also walked once and scored a run. Williams tallied an RBI. Swarts, Vanderlaan and Bauer all walked once.