Newton baseball falls twice to Grinnell, once to Oskaloosa

Newton’s baseball team was held to five hits during a home doubleheader against Grinnell on Wednesday.

The Cardinals scored just one run in the two Little Hawkeye Conference games and lost to the Class 3A ninth-ranked Tigers 13-1 and 1-0.

The 13-1 loss ended after six innings following Grinnell’s three-run fourth and five-run sixth.

“Game one got away from us,” Newton baseball coach Brad Kahler said. “Our pitchers threw a one-hitter in the second game. We can’t ask for much more than that. We had some action in a few innings but made mistakes and didn’t capitalize.”

In the opener, Kael Swarts, Turner Williams and Braydon Chance all had one hit. Chance led the offense with an RBI and one walk.

Kacey Sommars tallied one walk and scored one run and Drew Thompson walked once and was hit by a pitch. The Cardinals struck out 18 times in the two losses.

Riley Mouchka started and took the pitching loss after allowing eight runs — four earned — on nine hits with one strikeout and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.

Brody Bauer pitched two innings and surrendered five earned runs on four hits with two walks and one hit batter. Evan Grimm got the final out.

The four unearned runs by Grinnell (16-3 overall, 8-3 in LHC play) came on two errors by Newton.

Owen Coffman pitched Grinnell to the win after allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out 10. Will Doty had three hits and six RBIs at the plate.

In game two, Chance collected Newton’s two hits, Swarts walked once and Eli Stewart was hit by a pitch.

Williams started and took the pitching loss after allowing no earned runs on no hits with four strikeouts and four walks in four innings.

Chance tossed the final three innings and allowed no runs on one hit with three strikeouts and one hit batter.

Grinnell had just one hit in the game and scored its run in the first inning.

Oskaloosa 9, Newton 1

OSKALOOSA — Landon Briggs had three hits, a home run and five RBIs to lead Oskaloosa over Newton on Friday.

The Cardinals scored first in the top of the first inning, but Oskaloosa (3-14, 2-10) plated one run in each of the first five frames before pulling away for good with a four-run fifth during a 9-1 LHC home victory.

“We started well in this game but it was more of the same,” Kahler said. “Other teams are making plays and we are not. Other teams are putting the ball in play with two strikes and we are not.”

The Cardinals (3-12, 1-11) had six hits and one error in the game.

Chance led the offense with two hits, Thompson had one hit, one walk and one run and Swarts finished with one hit and one RBI. Sommars and Williams each had one hit.

Swarts started on the mound and took the loss. He allowed seven runs — four earned — on nine hits with six strikeouts, three walks and two hit batters in five innings.

Chance pitched one frame and allowed two earned runs on one hit with one strikeout and one walk.

“There’s a lot of season left and I expect this team to find a way to get to where we want to be,” Kahler said.