Cardinal baseball team ends season in district play

ADEL — Looking ahead for his Newton High Cardinal baseball team, head coach Dustin Brisel talked of pride in how the Cardinal players “stuck with it” during an unconventional and difficult 1-17 2020 season.

“These kids worked hard as we went through this tough — for several reasons — season. I’m proud of them,” Brisel said after the Cardinals’ season ended in a six-inning, run-rule loss 11-1 to ADM in Class 3A District 14/Substate 7 play on Friday night in Adel.

“It wasn’t the win-loss record we wanted and expected when this season began. The seniors showed great leadership and we’re glad we were able to play this summer despite the COVID-19 situation. So much was taken from the seniors of 2020 because of the pandemic,” Brisel said.

Newton also had some injuries that shutdown several younger players the last few weeks of the season.

The ADM Tigers scored two runs in the first inning but it was the third frame in which the game got away from the Cardinals. The Tigers scored six runs and it was 8-0.

“They (the Tigers) are a good hitting team and we were hoping they wouldn’t find the holes out there. We didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot so much with pitching or defense. They hit the ball well finding the gaps and they ran the basses well,” Brisel said.

ADM finished with 14 hits to Newton’s five hits.

Newton averted a shutout by producing a run in the fifth inning. With one out, freshman Kacey Sommars singled to right then senior Gatlin Chambers singled. Sophomore Riley Lester went in to run for Chambers when ADM changed pitchers.

With two gone, sophomore Braydon Chance drove the ball into right field to allow Sommars to score. The Tigers got the run back in the bottom of the inning then tacked on two runs in the sixth to get the 10-run rule win.

Chance was the starting pitcher for Newton and went 2 2/3 innings. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, two walks and one hit batter. Junior Derek Lanser pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on six hits and one walk.

The other hits for Newton were a single each from Lanser and freshman Drew Thompson.

It was the final game for three seniors — Chambers, Dalton Altemeier and Taylor Danley — along with senior manager Nate Keith.

“It was good to end the tough year with some normalcy in their lives which is what they needed. The kids were able to get out and play,” Brisel said.

“We know our seniors will succeed in whatever they are doing — college, work or trade school — and hopefully they end up here in Newton as they are the quality people we need in our community.”

Brisel said the coaches are excited about the young players coming back next year for the Newton team. He said there’s work to be done by players and coaches to help turn the program around.

Six of Newton’s seven pitchers with starting experience this season are underclassmen. Brisel said the team has young arms to work on getting stronger and finding more velocity on pitches.

“We got a lot of younger players good experience at the varsity level this year. Our junior varsity showed promise so we’re dedicated in working hard to improve for next season,” Brisel said.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at

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