State-ranked DCG too much for Newton baseball

GRIMES — Slow starts in both games of a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader plagued the Newton baseball team against Class 4A No. 8 Dallas Center-Grimes on Wednesday.

The Mustangs scored six of their eight runs in the first three innings of the opener and plated 11 runs in the first two frames of the nightcap and DCG swept the Cardinals 8-3 and 14-4.

The hosts cranked out 11 hits in each game, while Newton registered seven hits and committed six errors in the two games.

The Mustangs (26-6 overall, 17-3 in the LHC) led 3-0 after one and went up 6-0 after three in the opener.

Newton responded with one in the fourth and two in the fifth to get within 6-3, but DCG added a pair in the bottom of the fifth to close out the win.

The Cardinals’ three hits came from Eli Stewart, Brody Bauer and Finn Martin. Stewart tallied one RBI and walked once, Martin contributed an RBI and Bauer doubled.

Turner Williams walked twice, Kacey Sommars walked and scored one run, Drew Thompson walked and had one RBI and Skyler Milheiser drew his team-best 14th walk.

Thompson leads the team with 15 RBIs and Sommars has a team-best 23 runs and a team-best .451 on-base percentage.

Cade Bauer scored one run and Jake Ingle added a pair of steals.

Tade Vanderlaan (4-5) pitched all six innings and allowed eight runs — seven earned — on 10 hits and three walks. He struck out four in 108 pitches.

Dayne Mauk finished with two hits and three runs and Taitn Gray laced two doubles to lead DCG.

The Mustangs, who have won eight straight games, scored four runs in the first and seven more in the second in the nightcap.

Newton’s four runs came in the fourth, but DCG added one in the fifth and two in the sixth to end the game early.

Newton (11-17, 7-14) got hits came from Sommars, Williams, Thompson and Brody Bauer. Williams doubled and scored one run, Sommars and Thompson scored one run each and Brody Bauer doubled. Stewart scored one run and Riley Mouchka collected one RBI.

Sommars has a team-best 30 hits and Williams collected his team-high seventh double.

Brody Bauer (1-1) made his first start of the season and took the loss after allowing four runs — three earned — on two hits, one walk and one hit batter and he struck out one.

Mouchka, John Frietsch and Braelyn Parks also saw time on the mound.

Mouchka allowed four earned runs on three walks and one hit and Frietsch surrendered two unearned runs on one hit and one walk in 1/3 of an inning.

Parks tossed 3 2/3 innings and allowed four earned runs on four hits, six walks and one hit batter.

Tate Perrin led DCG with three hits, three runs and two RBIs and Gray added two hits and four RBIs. Mauk allowed one earned run in six innings for the pitching win.