Newton softball ends season against Ballard

It wasn’t supposed to end this way. The Cardinals expected to walk off their home field for the final time this season as winners of their opening-round regional game.

But the Ballard Bombers had other plans.

The Newton softball team was limited to one hit and four total base runners on Thursday during its Class 4A Region 6 contest.

Hailey Sumpter also had a no-hitter through five innings, but the visiting Bombers broke through with three runs in the sixth and advanced following a 3-0 victory.

“I’m not sure what they were seeing,” Newton head softball coach Kory Leiker said. “They said she was hitting the outside corner all night. Maybe it was coming from a different angle because she’s 6-foot-4. I don’t know what actually happened.”

Ballard starting pitcher Brooklyn Baumgardner was a towering presence in the circle. Standing well over 6-2, Baumgardner allowed her first hit in the bottom of the sixth and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard for just the third time this season.

Newton (15-17) ended the season with four straight losses and scored one run or less in four of its final five games.

“All in all, we had a good season. I’m proud of the girls,” Leiker said. “They fought to the end. It’s not like we did anything wrong. We just couldn’t score.”

Outside of the sixth inning, Sumpter was fantastic in her final prep start. She delivered a 1-2-3 frame in the first, third, fourth and fifth. A lead-off batter reached on an error for Ballard in the second and the Bombers got a one-out single in the seventh.

Sumpter had a pitch count of fewer than 40 through five.

Ballard (12-19) scored three in the sixth though. The Bombers had four of their five hits in the frame. Olivia Wacha’s bunt single with one out broke up Sumpter’s attempt at the no-hitter and then Madeline Schonhorst followed with another bunt single.

On the second bunt, Chloe Swank and Sumpter both went after the ball, which gave Swank an obstructed view on her throw to first base. The off-target throw got away from the Cardinals at first and Wacha and Schonhorst advanced to second and third.

A fielder’s choice RBI put Ballard in front 1-0 and then Avery Phillips delivered a two-run double to the gap in left-center field to cap the scoring.

Leiker pulled Sumpter after she allowed another hit and Leileigh Hammons got the final out of the sixth.

Sumpter went back into the circle in the seventh and finished the game after only surrendering a one-out single.

“The plan was to put her back in. I just needed a change up in that sixth,” Leiker said about pulling Sumpter in the sixth. “They got on her, and I needed something to change the pace. My expectation was to put her back in. She didn’t do anything wrong. I just needed to get out of that inning.”

Mack Sims opened the bottom of the first with a lead-off walk but was erased on the bases attempting to steal second. The umpire called her out even though the ball came out of the Ballard fielder’s glove on the tag.

The Cardinals went down in order in the second, third, fourth and fifth, but Paige Benson opened the sixth with a single. Viana Vasseau then drew a five-pitch walk to put two runners on base with no outs.

But Baumgardner got the next three Newton hitters to keep the hosts off the scoreboard.

Sumpter reached on error with one out in the seventh, but the Cardinals ended their season with back-to-back strikeouts. Newton struck out nine times at the plate.

Sumpter (11-14) took the loss in the circle after allowing three earned runs on five hits and four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Hammons got one out and hit one batter.

Baumgardner’s pitching victory included no earned runs, one hit and two walks. She fanned nine.

Notes: This was the first meeting between Newton and Ballard since 2014. ... The Bombers advanced to play No. 3 Norwalk on Saturday. ... The Cardinals say goodbye to four seniors — Sumpter, Kadance Ahn, Peyton Durr and Haylie Ryan. “I’m proud of the seniors and happy I got to spend four years with them,” Leiker said. “They’ll be missed. That’s a starting pitcher, catcher, shortstop and outfielder. They will be tough to replace. I’m going to miss them.”