State-ranked Indians use late runs to sweep Newton baseball

Through four innings of each of its two games against Class 4A No. 10 Indianola on Wednesday, the Newton baseball team outscored the Indians 4-3.

It was the other innings that did the Cardinals in though.

Indianola rallied past Newton in the opener following a four-run fifth and two-run sixth during an 8-4 victory at Eversman Field.

The Indians finished off the Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader sweep with an 8-0 win in the nightcap, but they plated three in the sixth and four in the seventh.

The Cardinals, who have lost four straight games, out-hit Indianola 6-5 in the opener and both teams had one error.

The Indians had a 14-3 advantage in hits in game two and Newton committed two errors.

The Cardinals (8-10 overall, 4-7 in the conference) scored all four of their runs in the doubleheader in the first inning of the opener.

Kacey Sommars walked, Turner Williams singled and Eli Stewart reached base on an error to load the bases. Drew Thompson drew an RBI walk and Brody Bauer was hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded.

After back-to-back strikeouts, Finn Martin delivered a two-run single on the first pitch he saw and that put the Cardinals in front 4-2.

The home team was retired in order in the second and sixth innings. Bauer singled in the third and fifth, Sommars walked in the fourth and Sommars and Stewart both singled in the seventh but were stranded by Indianola’s Brady Blake, who pitched the final two innings for the Indians.

Bauer led the offense in game one with two hits, one hit by pitch and one RBI, Sommars added one hit, one run and two walks and Thompson walked once, scored one run and had one RBI.

Martin collected one hit and two RBIs, Stewart added one hit and one run, Williams chipped in one hit and Jake Ingle scored one run as Williams’ courtesy runner.

Williams (2-3) started on the mound and took the loss after allowing six runs — five earned — on four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked seven.

Bauer pitched the final 1 1/3 innings and surrendered two earned runs on one hit. He struck out one and walked two.

Cooper Belt led the Indians with two doubles and five RBIs in the game one win. Blake walked four times and scored two runs and Andrew DeWall added three hits and two runs.

Daniel Kuebler pitched four innings, earned the win and allowed one earned run. Brueck was summoned to get out of a jam in the first inning and struck out two in his only frame.

Blake struck out two Cardinals and got the final six outs.

In the nightcap, Indianola (16-7, 8-3) scored once in the second and held a 1-0 lead until the late runs in the final two frames.

The Cardinals’ three hits came from Sommars, Stewart and Bauer. Sommars doubled, Skyler Milheiser walked twice and Williams, Martin and Riley Mouchka each walked once.

Tade Vanderlaan (3-2) took the loss on the mound. He allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits and struck out three and walked two in six innings.

Creighton Andrew made his varsity pitching debut. He surrendered no runs on one hit and struck out one and walked two in one inning.

Gage Sinn led Indianola with three hits and two RBIs and Luke Rockhold, Blake, Brueck and DeWall all registered two hits.

The Indians have won eight of their past nine games.