Newton baseball can’t find win column against Pella Christian

PELLA — Newton’s baseball team made too many mistakes against Pella Christian on Wednesday night and it cost the Cardinals a chance at a win during a Little Hawkeye Conference road matchup.

The Cardinals fell behind early and never fully recovered during a 7-1 loss.

“It was not our best performance,” Newton baseball coach Brad Kahler said. “We are not good enough right now to make that many mistakes.”

Pella Christian (2-10 overall, 1-3 in the LHC) scored two runs in the first inning. Newton got within 2-1 after scoring its only run of the game in the third. The Eagles pulled away with five runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings combined.

Both starting pitchers threw more than 100 pitches.

Pella Christian’s Micah DeHaan got all but one out after reaching his pitch-count limit. He tossed 6 2/3 innings, got the win and allowed one earned run on five hits with 11 strikeouts and four walks in 112 pitches.

Tade Vanderlaan took the loss for Newton. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs — four earned — on seven hits with six strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter in 105 pitches.

“Vanderlaan pitched well,” Kahler said. “It was not his best outing, but he pitched well enough to win.”

Kael Swarts got the final two outs for the Cardinals (3-6, 1-5) and walked a batter.

Turner Williams led Newton at the plate with two of the team’s five hits and he walked once. Brody Bauer added a triple, one RBI and one walk, Swarts had one hit and scored the Cardinals’ run, Riley Mouchka walked once and had one hit and Drew Thompson walked once.

Bennett Spronk led the Eagles with two hits and three RBIs.

“Offensively, we struck out 11 times. That’s too many free outs for the other team,” Kahler said. “This year and years to come is a process. Things aren’t going to change overnight. I’m a firm believer in if you keep doing good things and doing the right things, good things will happen.

“There are still a lot of opportunities left to get to be where we want to be as a team.”