Newton softball scores first, falls to West Marshall

STATE CENTER — Mack Sims’ solo home run with two strikes and two outs in the top of the seventh inning tied the game against West Marshall on Wednesday, but the Trojans won the game with a two-out hit in the bottom of the frame during a 3-2 non-conference win.

The Cardinals scored first but were plagued by two errors. Both teams had seven hits.

“I was happy with the performance,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “We kept on fighting, but it didn’t go our way. It’s still good momentum for the end of the season.”

The Newton softball team is 8-4 against West Marshall since 2007, but the Trojans snapped a six-game skid in the series.

The Cardinals scored once in the first to take an early lead. West Marshall went in front with a two-run fourth, and Sims’ homer tied the game at 2-all in the seventh.

Sims finished with two hits, one double, one homer, two runs, one RBI, one walk and one steal to lead Newton’s offense.

Her .465 batting average leads the team and she has a team-best six homers, six doubles, 32 runs, 59 total bases, 14 steals and 18 walks.

Chloe Swank totaled three hits and one RBI, Ava Williams walked twice and was hit by one pitch, Sloan Brodersen doubled and Kenzly Brant singled. Swank leads the Cardinals (8-18) with 23 RBIs.

Leileigh Hammons (8-12) allowed three runs — two earned — on six hits in the circle. She took the loss and struck out three in 6 2/3 innings.

Lillian Fischer had two hits and Amelia Ranson chipped in two RBIs to lead the Trojans (21-9), and Aubree Greenwood (13-5) allowed seven hits and struck out four in seven innings in the circle.