Sims’ homer powers Newton softball past Oskaloosa

OSKALOOSA — There was no drama this time. There was no controversial call at the end of the game.

Mack Sims didn’t let an umpire’s call on the field determine the outcome of the third matchup between the Newton softball team and rival Oskaloosa on Monday.

And Sim’s three-run dinger was part of a five-run fifth that powered the Cardinals to a 7-1 road victory during Little Hawkeye Conference action. The win gave the season series to Newton.

“The bats came alive in the fifth,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “Mack was a triple away from the cycle.”

It was Sims who was called out at first base following a lead-off walk in the top of the seventh inning during the opener of a doubleheader in Newton earlier this season.

The Cardinals ended up on the short end of a 7-6 decision but rebounded with a win in the nightcap and then won again on Monday.

Sims led the way at the plate, finishing with three hits, one homer, one double, two runs and three RBIs.

She leads the Cardinals with a .471 batting average and a .550 on-base percentage. Sims also has a team-best 38 runs, five homers and 66 total bases.

Newton out-hit Oskaloosa 8-7 and did not commit an error. Hailey Sumpter, Paige Benson, Kadance Ahn, Ava Williams and Peyton Durr had the other hits.

Ahn added one walk, two runs and one steal, Williams doubled, walked once and had one RBI and Durr tallied one run, one walk and one steal.

Sumpter chipped in one walk and Karly Spear and BrookLynn Britton each scored one run.

Sumpter (9-10) spun seven innings in the circle and got the win after allowing one earned run on seven hits, one walk and one hit batter. She struck out one and lowered her earned run average to 3.36.

“It was solid defense, pitching and offense,” Leiker said.

Newton (13-13, 6-11 in the LHC) has won four of its last seven games and the win moves the Cardinals past the Indians (10-18, 5-12) in the conference standings.

The Cardinals won the season series 2-1 and they’ve taken three of the past four in the series.

Boone 7, Newton 6

BOONE — The Cardinals cranked out 15 hits, but a tough night in the field plagued them against Boone on Tuesday.

The Toreadors rallied from a 6-0 hole to win 7-6 during a non-conference contest. Newton committed seven errors in the loss.

The Cardinals out-hit Boone 15-9, scored first and led 6-0 in the fifth before the hosts plated one in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh to walk it off.

“It was not a good outing tonight,” Leiker said. “When you have more errors than runs, it is a recipe for a loss. We need to learn how to close out games.”

The Toreadors won the game despite committing four errors.

Sims and Benson each had three hits to lead the offense, while Chloe Swank, Sumpter and Williams each collected two hits.

Benson doubled, scored one run and stole one base, Williams’ two hits were both doubles and she added one run and two RBIs, Sims scored one run and Sumpter added one RBI.

Sloan Brodersen, Makenzly Brant and Durr all had one hit, Durr and Brant chipped in one RBI and Brodersen scored one run and was hit by one pitch. Emerson Ray scored two runs.

Sumpter took the pitching loss despite allowing only three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. She surrendered eight hits and three walks.

Leileigh Hammons got the final two outs and allowed one hit.

Erin Ades led Boone (15-13) with three hits, two doubles, two runs and one steal.

Carly Bush (6-9) earned the pitching win in relief after tossing the final 2 2/3 innings. She allowed no runs and four hits.

It was Boone’s fourth straight win and the Toreadors defeated Newton for the fifth straight time.

Second-ranked DCG sweeps Cardinals

Sims registered four hits in the opener and Williams homered in the nightcap, but the Cardinals couldn’t keep up with Class 4A No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes on Wednesday.

Newton was out-hit 32-14 in the two games and the Cardinals had a 9-0 disadvantage in errors as DCG downed its hosts 14-1 and 9-3 in LHC play.

“Every team goes through adversity at some point in the season,” Leiker said. “It’s how we respond to these situations that will determine the type of team we become.”

The Cardinals went seven innings in both games, but DCG scored seven in the seventh of the opener and rallied from a 3-1 hole with eight runs in the final three innings in the nightcap.

Sims had four of the team’s nine hits in game one. She had two doubles, one triple and scored the team’s only run on Swank’s RBI single in the fifth.

Swank finished with two hits and one RBI and Sumpter tallied two hits in the loss.

Swank leads Newton with 22 RBIs. Sims collected her seventh double and second triple this season.

Williams got the other hit and walked once and Brodersen was hit by a pitch.

Newton stranded two runners in scoring position in its first at-bat and then stranded the bases loaded in the fourth with Sims standing in the on-deck circle.

Sims opened the next inning with a double and the Cardinals also left the bases loaded in the seventh. Newton struck out eight times at the pate.

Hammons (3-3) started in the circle and allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits, three walks and one hit batter. She struck out one in 4 2/3 innings.

Lexi Frehse tossed 2 1/3 innings of relief and surrendered seven runs — four earned — on eight hits and one walk.

Williams slugged a three-run home run in the third to put Newton in front 3-1 in the second game. But the Cardinals were limited to five hits and committed five errors.

DCG (26-5, 15-2) took the lead for good with a four-run fifth and then added one in the sixth and three in the seventh to complete the conference sweep.

Williams had two of the five hits, while Sims, Swank and Brant each tallied one hit and Sumpter drew two walks. Sumpter is now tied for the team lead with 14 walks.

Benson also walked once and Sims and Swank both scored on Williams’ third blast of the season.

Sumpter tossed all seven innings in the circle, took the loss and allowed nine runs — four earned — on 14 hits and two hit batters. She struck out one.

Notes: The regional pairings were released on Wednesday evening. Newton opens postseason play with a home game against Ballard (7-16) at 7 p.m. on July 11. The winner faces 4A No. 3 Norwalk (24-4) at 7 p.m. on July 13 in Norwalk. The 4A Region 6 final is July 16.