Newton softball takes two from Pella Christian

PELLA — The Newton softball team gave up five runs to Pella Christian in the very first inning of its Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader against the Eagles on Friday night.

But the Cardinal pitching staff surrendered just six runs the rest of the night and 23 total hits helped Newton earn a sweep on the road.

Newton rallied from that early hole to win the opener 10-6 and then needed 11 innings to down the Eagles 7-5 in the nightcap.

“We got two big wins tonight,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “We started a little sluggish in the first game, but the fight of these girls went off the charts.”

The latest pair of wins over Pella Christian helped the Cardinals sweep the Eagles this season. They also won 11-5 at home back on June 7.

Newton trailed the Eagles 6-3 after three innings in the first game but used a seven-run fourth to rally.

Neither team scored the rest of the way, but the Cardinals out-hit the Eagles 14-10 and did not commit an error.

Mack Sims finished with three hits and Chloe Swank, Hailey Sumpter and Kadance Ahn each registered two hits to lead the offense.

Sims doubled, scored one run, had three RBIs and stole two bases. She now has a team-best 12 steals this summer.

Ahn scored two runs, had one RBI, walked once and stole one base, Swank doubled, scored one run and had one RBI and Sumpter doubled and was hit by a pitch.

The Cardinals (13-12 overall, 7-10 in the conference) finished with five steals and five doubles in the win.

The other hits came from Peyton Durr, Ava Williams, Sloan Brodersen, Viana Vasseau and Paige Benson.

Benson doubled, scored one run, had one RBI and walked once, Durr doubled and finished with one RBI and Williams scored one run and collected three RBIs.

Brodersen added one run and stole one base, Katelyn Lambert walked once, was hit by one pitch and scored one run and Mackenzie Cupples and Jacy Linahon each scored one run. Linahon also stole one base.

Sumpter pitched all seven innings in the circle and got the win after allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and one hit batter. She struck out four in 106 pitches.

Newton had to rally again in the nightcap. Both teams scored one run in the first and the game was tied at 2-all after three. But Pella Christian (10-22, 3-14) plated one run each in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to go in front 5-3, but Newton scored twice in the seventh to force extra innings.

The Cardinals, who have won four straight games, scored two runs in the top of the 11th, out-hit the Eagles 9-8 and won the game despite committing two errors.

“I’m very proud of how these girls came together and fought as a team,” Leiker said. “We are starting to find our stride, and it’s the perfect time of the season to get it going.”

Lambert led the offense in game two with four hits, two runs and one steal. Sims and Swank each had two hits.

Sims tripled, scored two runs and walked once and Swank added one RBI. Sims leads the team with 30 runs and 46 total bases.

Sumpter doubled, walked three times and had three RBIs. She leads the squad with a batting average of .348 and moved into the team lead with 22 RBIs. She’s also tied with Sims for the team lead with 10 walks.

Durr scored one run, had one RBI and stole one base, Haylie Ryan, Ahn and Vasseau all walked once and BrookLynn Britton had one RBI. Cupples scored two runs and stole one base.

The Cardinal offense drew seven walks and struck out 11 times but also had six sacrifices and two sacrifice flys.

Tallyn Seitz started in the circle and got the no-decision after allowing four runs — three earned — on two hits and seven walks in four innings.

Sumpter (11-9) spun seven innings of relief and got the win. She surrendered one earned run on six hits, one walk and one hit batter in 102 pitches. She struck out five.