Newton bats go silent in losses to Oskaloosa

The Newton baseball team has a 2.76 earned run average this season. The defense is successfully fielding the ball nearly 93 percent of the time.

But a .222 team batting average has plagued the Cardinals and the offense managed only three runs and nine hits in two games against Oskaloosa on Thursday.

Newton couldn’t hold a 2-0 lead in the opener as the rival Indians scored six runs in the final three frames to win 6-3.

The Cardinals failed to score a run in the nightcap and dropped the second game of the Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader, 1-0.

Oskaloosa out-hit Newton 10-6 in the first game, but the hosts had a 3-2 advantage in the nightcap. The Cardinals committed two errors in both games. The Indians were error-free in the 1-0 win.

Eli Stewart started on the mound in the early game and got through four without surrendering a run.

With a 2-0 deficit, Oskaloosa plated five in the fifth and the frame featured a three-run homer by Lukas Toubekis. Both teams scored one run in the sixth.

Finn Martin, Cade Bauer, John Frietsch, Skyler Milheiser, Gabe Otto and Stewart had the six hits.

Martin finished with one run, one walk, one hit by pitch and four steals, while Bauer scored one run, had one RBI, was hit by one pitch and stole two bases.

Martin scored his team-best 10th run and drew his team-high ninth walk.

Frietsch chipped in one run, one RBI and one walk, Stewart walked once and was hit by a pitch and Milheiser stole one base.

Derek Wermager was hit by two pitches, Mason Mendez was hit by one pitch and Kreytein Wickliffe stole one base.

The Cardinals were hit by six pitches, walked three times and stole eight bases. Stewart improved his team-best total bases to 17.

Stewart (0-2) stranded a pair of runners on base in the first, second and fourth frames before allowing three earned runs in the fifth. He took the pitching loss after surrendering three earned runs on four hits and five walks with two strikeouts in four innings.

Bauer pitched the final three frames and allowed three runs — one earned — on five hits and one hit batter. He struck out one.

Newton (4-9, 1-5 in the conference) scored its first two runs in the first. Martin reached on an infield single and then stole second. A single by Stewart put runners on the corners. After a caught stealing, Mendez was hit by a pitch and Bauer’s RBI fielder’s choice made it 1-0.

Frietsch then singled in front of Wermager’s first hit by pitch. Milheiser made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded RBI walk.

The Cardinals stranded the bases loaded in each of the first two frames. In the second, Martin was hit by a pitch and then stole second and third. Stewart was hit by a pitch and his courtesy runner, Wickliffe, stole second.

With two outs, Bauer loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch, but a ground out to second base ended the threat. The hosts went down in order in the third and fourth.

Linus Morrison and Spencer Vaughan had two hits each for the Indians, while Maddux Ashman finished with one hit, one walk and two runs.

Trey Parks (2-0) pitched into the sixth inning and earned the win for Oskaloosa and Tate Peterson got the four-out save.

Oskaloosa scored the only run of Game 2 in the third. Peterson and Vaughan combined on the three-hitter.

Peterson (2-2) pitched into the sixth and got the win after allowing no earned runs, while Vaughan got the four-out save.

Milheiser led the Cardinals at the plate with two hits, one triple and one steal. Bauer doubled, Wermager walked and was hit by a pitch, Martin was hit by a pitch and stole one base and Mendez and Parks each walked once. Parks also stole one base.

Mendez (0-1) went the distance on the mound but was the tough-luck loser after allowing no earned runs on two hits, one walk and one hit batter. He struck out five in seven innings.

Morrison had one hit and one RBI for Oskaloosa (5-9, 3-4), while Toubekis walked once and was hit by one pitch.