Newton softball loses twice to Pella Christian

PELLA — Leileigh Hammons belted a solo home run in the opening game of the Cardinals’ conference doubleheader against Pella Christian on Monday, but it was the only hit the Newton softball team could muster on the road.

The Eagles countered the homer with a four-run third and never trailed again during an 8-1 victory. They completed the Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader sweep with a 6-5 triumph in the nightcap.

“We took humbling losses tonight,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “We have to figure out where we go from here because it’s not going to get any easier.”

Newton was out-hit 5-1 in the opener, and the Cardinals committed four errors. The Eagles had 11 hits and committed two of the game’s three errors in the nightcap.

The loss snapped a four-game win streak in the series for Newton, which has dropped five of its past six games.

Pella Christian won the season series 2-1 despite the Cardinals claiming the first game, 15-4, at home.

Hammons’ third home run of the season came in the top of the third, but Pella Christian’s Chloe Snyder clubbed a three-run dinger in the bottom of the frame to give the Eagles the lead for good.

The Eagles scored twice in the fifth and sixth to put their visitors away.

Mack Sims drew a walk late in the game but was stranded on second when the game ended.

Laurel Roozeboom earned the pitching win for the Eagles. She allowed just the homer to Hammons and the walk to Sims. She had no strikeouts and 17 of Newton’s 21 outs were pop outs or fly outs.

Hammons (6-7) took the loss in the circle after allowing six runs — five earned — on four hits and four walks. She struck out three in four innings.

Lexi Frehse tossed the final two innings and surrendered two unearned runs on one hit and three walks. She fanned three.

Both Cardinal pitchers went into the circle in the second game, too. Hammons took the loss in relief after allowing two earned runs on three hits and one walk in two innings.

Frehse started the game and gave up four earned runs on eight hits and three walks with one strikeout in four innings.

After collecting three hits and three RBIs in the opener, Faith Kacmarynski led the Eagles (5-11, 3-10 in the conference) with a double and three RBIs in Game 2.

Both teams scored one run in the first, but the Eagles led 4-3 after two. Newton (6-12, 2-10) tied the game in the third, but Pella Christian went in front for good with a two-run sixth.

Newton, which got out-hit 11-6, plated one in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Viana Vasseau belted her first career varsity homer and walked once to lead Newton in the second game.

Frehse tallied two hits and one RBI and Sims registered one hit, one walk, two runs and two steals.

Sims leads the Cardinals with 20 runs, 11 walks, 36 total bases and 10 steals and has a team-best .435 batting average.

Emerson Ray posted one hit, one RBI and one steal and was hit by one pitch, Ava Williams walked twice and was hit by a pitch and Mackenzly Brant had the other hit.

BrookLynn Britton scored one run and stole four bases, Haleigh Bozarth scored one run and Chloe Swank stole one base.