State-ranked Grinnell uses big inning to rally past Newton baseball

Newton head baseball coach Derek Wrage doesn’t care if a team is ranked or not. He thinks his squad can compete if they do the right things on the field.

The Cardinals led Class 3A No. 8 Grinnell through three innings on Wednesday, but the Tigers used a nine-run fourth to grab an advantage and cruised from there during an 11-3 non-conference road victory.

“What we are trying to teach these kids, because we are going to have most of them next year and a lot more the year after that, is that just because a team is ranked doesn’t mean we can’t compete with them,” Wrage said. “If you look at a lot of our scores, there are a lot of days where we are competing for a long time and days where we’re ahead for a large chunk of it.”

While the pitching certainly could have been better, the main issue again for Newton was a lack of offense.

The Cardinals drew six walks but were limited to only two hits in the loss. That’s two days after getting just five hits in a doubleheader against Norwalk.

“We saw progress today even though it may not seem like it,” Wrage said. “Our focus is trying to see the ball early and change our approach with two strikes. We have had a lot of called third strikes. We are trying to fix one thing at a time.”

The Cardinals scored first against former Little Hawkeye Conference rival Grinnell.

Cade Bauer drew a lead-off walk and then Mason Mendez roped a single to left field. John Frietsch’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base and Bauer scored on Derek Wermager’s RBI sacrifice fly to left.

It was all the Cardinals could muster until they scored single runs in the sixth and seventh.

“Scoring early and being able to score a run with guys on base was good to see,” Wrage said. “That’s plagued us a lot this year. If you go look at the guys we have left on base, we have multiple innings per game.”

In the sixth, Skyler Milheiser, Bauer and Mendez loaded the bases on three consecutive walks. Milheiser eventually scored on a wild pitch to bring Newton within 9-2.

But the inning ended on a double play after Wermager flew out to short center field and Bauer was thrown out at home.

Kreytein Wickliffe got the team’s second hit of the night to lead off the seventh. He stole second, went to third on a ground out and then scored on a passed ball.

Frietsch started on the mound for Newton. He pitched around a lead-off double by Brady Coffman in the first and then survived the first two batters reaching and moving into scoring position in the second.

A two-out walk in the third also went for nothing, but the Tigers scored nine runs on eight hits, three walks and three errors in the fourth.

Grinnell’s bats accounted for two doubles and three RBI triples in the game.

One of the doubles in the nine-run fourth came with two strikes and it was simply poked down the line in right field after Frietsch threw a pitch off the plate.

“When you play a great baseball team like Grinnell, that’s what they go do,” Wrage said. “They hit balls hard and give themselves a chance with two strikes.

“They are hitting good pitches, too. But we can’t lose our composure after someone makes an error. The inning prolonged longer than it needed to because of more mistakes. We have to find a way to shut it down, but that’s just part of growing up and maturing.”

Coffman led Grinnell with a double, triple and two runs. He’s batting a team-best .416 and the double was his 10th of the season.

Carson Penyich had three hits and two runs. One of his hits was his fourth triple of the season.

Milheiser and Bauer each walked twice and scored one run, Mendez had one hit and walked once and Wickliffe tallied one hit and stole one base.

Landry Rausch walked once, Frietsch was hit by a pitch and Wermager tallied one RBI.

The Cardinals (5-16) went down in order in the first and fifth and stranded six runners in scoring position.

“We were up 1-0 and had guys on second and third in the second,” Wrage said. “It just comes down to what our approach is and what it takes to put together at-bats at the varsity level.”

Frietsch (1-4) took the pitching loss for the Cardinals. He allowed nine runs — seven earned — on eight hits and four walks with two strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Wermager pitched the final 3 1/3 innings and gave up two earned runs on four hits and one hit batter with two strikeouts.

Grinnell’s Jake Van Compernolle (4-0) earned the pitching win. The southpaw allowed two earned runs on one hit and six walks in six innings.

Brooks Vosburg tossed the seventh and surrendered one earned run on one hit.

It was the sixth straight loss for Newton and the seventh straight win for Grinnell. The Tigers won their fifth in a row against the Cardinals.

Newton can’t find offense in losses to Norwalk

NORWALK — Two Newton pitchers tossed 12 innings and allowed a combined two earned runs during a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader with Norwalk on Monday.

But the Cardinals’ offense managed only five hits and the defense committed five errors in the two games and Norwalk swept the doubleheader 1-0 and 3-1.

“It’s one thing to go over here and hit line drives and look good in the cage and it’s another to do it on the field,” Wrage said about the team’s struggles at the plate. “It’s about having a plan and about knowing what we need to do to be successful individually. Because what works for one may not work the other.”

Newton was no hit by Aidan Harder and Garrett Geurink in the opener. Eli Stewart did his part on the mound but suffered a tough-luck loss after allowing no earned runs on three hits and three walks in six innings.

Stewart (0-4) struck out four and needed 84 pitches to complete the game.

“Eli has given us some really good starts. He gave us a chance to win,” Wrage said. “When we are very efficient, are not giving up free bases and playing good defense, it takes care of itself. We were throwing quality strikes.”

Milheiser walked twice and Finn Martin drew one walk and stole one base to lead the offense. Braelyn Parks also walked once.

Newton (1-11 in the LHC) lost the game despite only being out-hit 3-0. The Cardinals committed four errors though.

Harder (3-1) got the win for Norwalk and Geurink registered his first save after the duo struck out seven and walked four in their seven innings.

The Cardinals scored first in the nightcap but only managed the one run they got in the first as Norwalk tied the game in the bottom half and then went ahead for good with a two-run third.

Norwalk (11-11, 8-4 in the conference) out-hit the Cardinals 7-5 and won the game despite three errors.

Martin led the offense with two hits, one double, one run and one steal. He has a team-best 15 walks, 14 steals and 16 runs this season.

Stewart had one hit and one RBI, Milheiser and Bauer each tallied one hit and Frietsch walked once.

Gabe Otto (2-2) went six innings on the mound and took the loss after surrendering three runs — two earned — on seven hits and one walk. His 76 pitches included one strikeout.

“Gabe gave us a really nice start,” Wrage said. “It was his first conference start, and it was against a solid 4A program. Going six innings with 76 pitches is more than we should be asking for.”

CJ Davis had three hits and two runs to lead the Norwalk offense and pitched the seventh to get his first save of the season.

Cole Wardlow (2-1) struck out four, allowed no earned runs in six innings and got the win.

Pella 10, Newton 2

PELLA — The Cardinals scored first again, but were limited to five hits and two runs during a 10-2 road loss against Pella on June 14.

The Dutch answered Newton’s two-run first with four in the bottom half and then added single runs in the fourth and fifth and plated four more in the sixth.

Pella out-hit the Cardinals 11-5 and the two teams combined for five errors.

Milheiser, Bauer, Frietsch, Parks and Rausch each had one hit and Mendez walked three times.

Milheiser tallied one run, one steal and one hit by pitch, Bauer collected two RBIs and walked once and Frietsch doubled.

Rausch was hit by a pitch and stole one base, Parks walked once and stole one base and Martin walked once, scored one run and swiped one base. Wickliffe also was hit by a pitch.

Newton scored only two runs despite registering five hits, six walks and four steals.

Frietsch started on the mound and took the loss after allowing eight runs — six earned — on eight hits, four walks and one hit batter in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four.

Creighton Andrew got the final two outs but not before surrendering two earned runs on two hits and one walk.

Nathan VandeLune led the Pella attack with three hits and two runs and Nathan Carey added two hits and three RBIs.

The Dutch (16-7, 10-4) swept the season series and have won nine straight over the Cardinals.