Fourth-ranked Knoxville edges Newton baseball

KNOXVILLE — A four-run first inning put the Newton baseball team in the driver’s seat against Class 3A No. 4 Knoxville on Tuesday.

The Cardinals added two runs each in the second and third frames, but couldn’t hold off the Panthers during a 10-8 non-conference road loss.

Knoxville trailed 8-3 after three frames but rallied with seven runs in its final three at-bats. The Panthers scored three in the fifth and three in the sixth to complete the rally.

Both teams had 11 hits and combined for seven errors. Knoxville (20-1) was plagued by five errors. The Cardinals (8-10) struck out 12 times.

Kacey Sommars had three hits, one double, one run and one steal to lead the Cardinal offense and Drew Thompson added two hits, two runs, one RBI and one hit by pitch.

Riley Mouchka chipped in one hit, two runs, two RBIs and one walk and Eli Stewart, Brody Bauer, Finn Martin and Jake Ingle all contributed one hit and one run. Tade Vanderlaan had the other hit and he added one RBI.

Mouchka (0-2) took the loss on the mound after surrendering seven runs — six earned — on five hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. He also struck out two.

Thompson pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits. It was the first time Thompson pitched in a varsity game since his freshman season three summers ago.

Beau Leisure led Knoxville with three hits, two runs and three RBIs. Trenton Kingrey improved to 3-0 on the mound after surrendering no earned runs on one hit and one hit batter and he struck out seven in 2 2/3 innings.