Newton baseball falls to pair of conference rivals

Eli Stewart doesn’t have a pitching win this season. But that doesn’t tell the whole story of how well he’s performed on the mound.

The Cardinal senior was pretty good again on Friday, but the defense behind him committed four errors and the Newton baseball team fell 7-0 to Indianola during its Little Hawkeye Conference finale.

Three of the four errors were committed in the Indians’ four-run second frame, and the Cardinals lost despite out-hitting Indianola 4-3.

“He goes and competes and does his job,” Newton head baseball coach Derek Wrage said. “He probably didn’t have his ‘A’ stuff today, but he threw strikes, they hit the ball and we, for the most part outside of one inning, played good defense.”

While the defense didn’t help the cause, the Cardinals also were shut out for the fifth time this season and scored two or fewer runs in a game for the 13th time.

Finn Martin opened the game with a single and Cade Bauer drew a two-out walk, but the runners were stranded.

Martin singled with one out in the third and singled again with two outs in the fifth. Derek Wermager was hit by a pitch in the fifth in front of Martin’s hit, but again both runners were stranded.

In the seventh, John Frietsch walked and Wermager singled, but the game ended on a 5-3 double play.

The Cardinals came into the game batting .208 as a team. George Blake, the son of former MLB player Casey Blake, earned the pitching win for Indianola after allowing three hits, one walk and one hit batter. He struck out three in five innings.

“We’re a young team that is learning every day,” Wrage said. “We just have to keep getting better every day we have batting practice or pick up a bat. We can sit here and be frustrated and try to point fingers or try to find answers, and I think we’re trying to find answers right now.”

Blake did not come back out to the mound after a brief rain delay in the sixth.

Stewart (0-5) tossed all seven innings for Newton and allowed seven runs — three earned — on three hits, two walks and two hit batters. He struck out one.

Stewart entered the game with a 3.76 earned run average and opponents were hitting just .170 off him.

The Indians, who are receiving votes in the latest Class 4A state rankings, scored four runs in the second but three were unearned.

Luke Rockhold’s infield single was the only hit of the frame for Indianola. The Cardinals (7-20, 3-15) had trouble fielding bunts in the inning.

“Today just came down to knowing what we are doing with the baseball,” Wrage said. “When there’s a bunt defense, you have to get an out. We don’t need a super hero play. We need outs. Just make the simple play and get outs. That’s all it has to be.”

Indianola plated one run in the fifth, sixth and seventh. With two outs, Blake singled and advanced to third on the fourth Newton error.

After George Sinn was hit by a pitch, he got caught in a run down between first and second, which allowed Blake to score from third. Newton also didn’t retire Sinn on the bases.

“We were hoping to get the out there, but I think we panicked a bit,” Wrage said. “There were two outs so we didn’t have to throw home. Just get the out.”

Indianola (23-10, 12-6) got a run without a hit in the sixth. Asher Brueck drew a lead-off walk, stole second, went to third on a ground out to the right side and then scored on a wild pitch.

In the seventh, Rockhold doubled and scored on Blake’s RBI sacrifice fly to right field.

Martin had three of the Cardinals’ four hits and he stole his team-leading 17th base. His first two hits were right back up the middle, but he poked the third hit the other way to right field.

Martin came into the game batting .209. Wrage hopes the strong day at the plate is a sign of things to come.

“It’s really hard to show up day in and day out with that frustration and not finding the success he wants to have,” Wrage said. “It says a lot about who he is and what kind of competitor he is.

“He’d probably be the first one to admit he’s not hitting the way he wants to, but to flip it around today against one of the best teams in the conference, hopefully, that’s a sign of good things to come with two weeks to go.”

Wermager got the other hit and was hit by a pitch and Bauer and Frietsch both walked.

Rockhold had two hits and two runs for Indianola, which completed the season sweep and is 23-1 against Newton since 2017. Brueck also scored two runs.

Second-ranked Mustangs too much for Cardinals

Newton was limited to two hits in both games of a doubleheader against 4A No. 2 Dallas Center-Grimes on Wednesday.

A fast start by the Mustangs in the opener led to an 8-1 win, while DCG rallied to take the nightcap 5-1 during LHC play.

The Cardinals, who have a fielding percentage of around .918, had more errors (7) than hits (4) in the two games.

The Mustangs scored three runs in the first inning of the first game and added two each in the fourth and fifth. Newton plated its only runs in the doubleheader in the first inning of both games.

Stewart highlighted the Cardinals in the opener with one hit and one steal and he was hit by a pitch. Mason Mendez got the other hit, Martin scored one run and stole one base and Skyler Milheiser and Frietsch were each hit by a pitch.

Stewart leads the team with seven hit by pitches, Martin scored his team-best 19th run and Bauer’s RBI was his team-high 14th.

Frietsch (1-5) took the loss on the mound after surrendering eight runs — five earned — on seven hits and five walks. He struck out three in five innings.

Creighton Andrew tossed the final two frames and struck out two and allowed no runs and no hits.

Cross Bandy and Dayne Mauk had two hits and two RBIs to lead DCG (30-2, 16-1) at the plate.

Lincoln Harris (4-0) struck out nine batters over seven innings and got the pitching win after allowing no runs and two hits.

Newton scored first in the nightcap, but the Mustangs tied it in the second and took the lead for good with another run in the fourth. DCG had eight hits in each game.

Martin led the Cardinals with one hit and one run, while Milheiser doubled, had one RBI and was hit by one pitch. Rausch and Braelyn Parks both walked once.

Milheiser leads the Cardinals with 31 total bases.

Parks took the loss on the mound after allowing three earned runs on four hits and four walks in five innings.

Wermager tossed the final two innings and surrendered two runs — none earned — on three hits and one strikeout.

Mauk doubled twice and belted his third homer of the season to lead DCG at the plate. He also earned the pitching win after striking out 11 and allowing one earned run over seven innings.

Mauk is now 7-0 with an ERA of 1.26.