Newton softball struggles in losses to Boone, state-ranked DCG

The Newton softball team played right with Boone for the first three innings of their non-conference game on Tuesday.

But once the Toreadors got rolling, the Cardinals had a tough time slowing them down.

Boone left town with an 11-1 win and all 11 runs came in the final four innings.

“We have to come with intensity every night. If we don’t come with intensity it doesn’t matter who we play,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said.

The Cardinals only had one more hit than they had errors in the loss. Newton cranked out just four hits one night after collecting only six against Oskaloosa.

Newton was retired in order in the first inning. Hailey Sumpter got a two-out single in the second but courtesy runner BrookLynn Britton was stranded on third base.

Kadance Ahn reached on an infield single in the third, but she was retired on a fielder’s choice to keep the Cardinals off the board.

It wasn’t until the fifth that Newton got on the scoreboard. Ahn drew a one-out walk and Sloan Brodersen reached on a fielder’s choice that ended with Ahn beating out a throw to second base. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Mack Sims walked to load the bases.

Katelyn Lambert’s RBI single scored Ahn, but Brodersen was thrown out at the plate. The inning ended one batter later on another fielder’s choice ground ball.

“We started the game off with some good intensity and we had some hard-hit balls that were right at them,” Leiker said. “So we got unlucky early. They made good plays.”

Newton (13-16) had three base runners in the final two innings. Sumpter singled in the sixth and Brodersen walked and Lambert reached on an error in the seventh. All three runners were stranded as both innings ended with pop-outs to first base.

Sumpter started in the circle and shut down Boone (12-14) through three innings. Sydney Adams led off the game with an infield single and she added another hit in the third.

Adams only reached second base once though as Sumpter fanned four batters in the first three frames.

In the fourth, the first two Toreadors reached on errors in front of a Kelsea Moorman’s three-run homer.

“We need to focus more and make the routine plays,” Leiker said. “Any time we give a team more than 21 outs it’s never good. Any team can take advantage of 23 or 24 outs. That’s never good unless they give you the same gifts back.”

Moorman made it 4-0 in the fifth with an RBI single and Boone added four in the sixth and three in the seventh.

Thirteen of the Toreadors’ 15 hits came in the final four innings. A bases-loaded double by Natalee Danner highlighted the four-run sixth. Jillian Mallas belted a solo homer in the seventh and Danner contributed a two-run single.

Sumpter took the loss in the circle after allowing 11 runs — nine earned — on 15 hits and one walk. She struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings.

Ava Williams got the final two outs and did not allow a run or a hit.

“I had an idea of what Boone had for hitters, and maybe I made a couple of bad pitch calls, but overall (Hailey) threw well,” Leiker said. “Our defense let her down a little bit. It doesn’t matter how well you pitch, if you can’t score runs, we aren’t going to win.

“We have to make routine plays and have confidence at the plate.”

Sumpter had two hits at the dish to lead the Newton offense and Ahn added one hit, one walk and one run. Lambert finished with one hit and one RBI, Sims and Brodersen each walked once and Britton stole one base.

Danner led Boone with two hits, two runs and five RBIs and Moorman chipped in two hits, a homer and four RBIs.

Adams registered three hits and two runs and Erin Ades spun five innings in the circle and allowed one earned run on four hits.

Oskaloosa 8, Newton 4

The first two matchups between the Cardinals and Oskaloosa were competitive one-run games.

The latest contest between the Little Hawkeye Conference rivals was controlled by the Indians.

The fourth meeting will take place next week in the postseason.

Neither squad wanted to show its opponent much of anything on Monday, and a 10-hit performance by Oskaloosa led the visitors to an 8-4 conference victory.

The Cardinals managed only six hits at the plate and committed four errors in the field.

Oskaloosa (11-8 overall, 7-10 in the LHC) led 3-2 after one and then went up 5-2 in the second before scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to pull away.

Lambert and Swank each had two hits to lead the offense. Lambert scored two runs and stole one base and Swank drove in a pair of runs.

Sims doubled and scored one run and Haylie Ryan added one hit and one RBI. Peyton Durr collected one RBI, Jacy Linahon scored one run and Paige Benson stole one base.

The loss snapped Newton’s four-game win streak.

The Indians won the regular season series two games to one after the two teams split in Oskaloosa. The Cardinals (7-13 in the LHC) won 2-1 and lost 5-4.

Tallyn Seitz (1-4) took the loss in the circle after allowing eight runs — six earned — on 10 hits, four walks and one hit batter in seven innings. She struck out two.

Fourth-ranked DCG sweeps Cardinals

DALLAS CENTER — Class 4A No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes was too much for the Cardinals on Wednesday.

The Mustangs completed the season sweep of Newton with a pair of LHC home victories. DCG opened the night with a 12-1 win and ended with an 11-0 victory. Both games lasted five innings.

Dallas Center-Grimes defeated the Cardinals 5-1 in Newton back on June 12 and outscored them 28-2 this summer.

“We are caught in a little funk right now and we are going to need to find our identity,” Leiker said.

In the opener, DCG out-hit Newton 9-7, but the Mustangs took advantage of three Cardinal errors.

Lambert finished with three hits, one run and one steal, Benson had two hits and Sumpter added one hit and one RBI. Swank got the other hit.

Sumpter (11-11) started and took the loss in the circle after allowing nine runs — four earned — on seven hits, one walk and one hit batter in two innings.

Williams spun two innings of relief and surrendered three earned runs on two hits and three walks.

The Mustangs scored eight runs in the second inning of the opener to take control.

In the nightcap, DCG (27-8, 17-3) plated six in the first and five in the third.

Morgan Frehse broke up a no-hitter in the fifth with a bloop single to right field. Frehse registered her first varsity hit in her varsity debut.

Sims also walked and stole one base and Ahn drew one walk. Sims has a team-best 13 steals this summer.

DCG out-hit the Cardinals 9-1 and Newton committed three errors.

Seitz took the loss in the circle after allowing 11 runs — nine earned — on nine hits and five walks in four innings. She struck out two.