Newton softball ends long skid against Indianola

INDIANOLA — Going back to as far as games go on Bound, the Newton softball team was 0-23 against Indianola since 2010.

Of those 23 games, the Cardinals scored more than two runs just four times and the closest game since 2020 was 4-0.

That all changed on Wednesday night as Newton traveled to Indianola for a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader and returned home with a split.

The losing streak grew to 24 games after the Cardinals fell short, 4-3, in 10 innings in the opener, but the visitors salvaged a split and ended the skid with a 10-6 victory in the nightcap.

“They played their hearts out,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “Even though they suffered a tough loss in the first game, they bounced back to win the second one. We can now check off a win over Indianola.”

Peyton Durr opened the second game with a grand slam and the Cardinals used a pair of five-run frames in the first and second to down the Indians.

Newton led 10-3 after two and coasted to the victory from there. Indianola plated three in the seventh, but it was too little too late.

“We played 17 innings and committed only two errors,” Leiker said. “That’s solid softball.”

The Cardinals (9-7, 3-6 in the conference) scored first in the opener, too. They plated two runs in the third but did not score again until the 10th.

Indianola, who dropped out of the Class 4A rankings on Wednesday afternoon, got on the board with one in the third and then scored one in the seventh to force extra innings.

After the Cardinals grabbed a 3-2 lead in the 10th, Indianola grabbed the walk-off win with a pair of runs in its final at-bat.

Sloan Brodersen had three of the team’s eight hits and scored one run. Chloe Swank, Paige Benson, Kadance Ahn, Haylie Ryan and Ava Williams all had one hit.

Ahn walked once and had one RBI, Benson doubled and was hit by one pitch, Swank scored one run and Ryan tallied one RBI.

Hailey Sumpter drew two walks, Williams and Mack Sims both walked once and Katelyn Lambert scored one run and stole one base. Sims leads the Cardinals with 12 walks.

Sumpter (6-6) took the loss in the circle after allowing four earned runs on 14 hits, one walk and one hit batter in 9 1/3 innings. She struck out three.

The Cardinals were out-hit 14-8 in the opener but had a 9-5 advantage in the second game. Newton led 5-1 after one and 10-3 after two.

Durr, Swank and Williams all had two hits to lead the offense in the nightcap.

Durr’s first homer of the season was a grand slam and she scored two runs. Swank is now batting a team-best .429 and her 37 total bases also leads the team.

Williams added one run and one RBI, Brodersen tallied one hit, two walks, two runs and one RBI and Benson chipped in one walk and one run and she was hit by one pitch.

Ahn walked once, scored one run and had one RBI, BrookLynn Britton walked twice, Emerson Ray scored two runs and Sims and Morgan Frehse had the other hits. Lambert scored one run.

Leileigh Hammons (3-1) pitched the first six innings and earned the win after allowing six earned runs on five hits, one walk and one hit batter. She struck out three.

Hammons started the seventh, but Sumpter got all three outs and did not allow a hit or a run.