Newton softball outlasts Knoxville in extras

The Newton softball team had only five hits through 10 innings against Knoxville on Monday.

But after Mack Sims led off the 11th with a single and then stole second, head coach Kory Leiker had no thoughts of bunting her over to third.

That decision proved to be the right one as Chloe Swank’s opposite field RBI single gave the Cardinals a 1-0 non-conference win over the Panthers.

“Chloe’s a contact hitter. No matter what I thought she’d get Mack to third,” Leiker said. “I also didn’t want to take the bat out of her hands.”

The pitching dominated the matchup overall, but the Cardinals’ RBI leader came through when the team needed her most. Swank also helped her team get out of a sticky situation in the 10th with an inning-ending double play.

“I just tried to hit the ball somewhere where they weren’t,” Swank said about her approach at the plate in the 11th. “That last one I slowed down and aimed for contact instead of power. We just needed a hit. I wasn’t really trying to make the ball fly.”

Newton was out-hit 10-7 in the game and the Cardinals had the only two errors of the contest.

Hailey Sumpter pitched around trouble early and then retired the Panthers in order in five of the final eight frames. She also snagged a hard line drive back to the circle that retired Knoxville’s side with the bases loaded in the second.

Defense was one of the highlights of the night for Newton. Paige Benson made a diving catch in left field in the first.

The double play made by Swank came after the first two Panthers reached base in the top of the 10th. Sumpter got the first out at third on a fielder’s choice and then a ground ball to Swank at third allowed her to touch her base and throw to first for the final out of the frame.

“That was crazy. I was hoping it would come to me,” Swank said. “There was one out there and the ball was hit right to me. But it was a big momentum play.”

Sumpter (11-11) earned the win in the circle after allowing no earned runs and 10 hits. She struck out five.

The Panthers put a runner on base in the first, left the bases loaded in the second and placed two on base with two outs in the third, but Sumpter forced a ground ball to Sloan Brodersen at shortstop.

Knoxville went down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Two hits went for naught in the seventh, a fly ball to Sims in center left two more runners in scoring position in the eighth and the double play ended the 10th.

“Hailey pitched great. Her pitch count for 11 innings was great, too,” Leiker said. “There was solid defense. We had a diving catch by Paige, that double play was huge and Sumpter’s catch with the bases loaded probably saved at least two runs.”

Knoxville’s Ciara Heffron had a no-hitter through four. Benson broke that up with a one-out single in the fifth. Brodersen bunted her to second, but Benson was thrown out at home trying to score on Peyton Durr’s first hit of the night.

Haylie Ryan led off the sixth with a single and Sumpter walked with two outs in the seventh.

The Cardinals (15-14) wasted a great opportunity in the eighth. Brodersen and Durr led off with back-to-back singles and Ryan’s sacrifice bunt moved both runners up a base.

Unfortunately for Newton, Heffron ended the threat with consecutive strikeouts. The final out was against Sims, who is leading the Cardinals with a .442 batting average.

Sumpter and Benson both walked with two outs in the ninth, but that inning also ended with a strikeout.

Heffron fanned 11 in the game and allowed just one earned run in 11 innings.

“Lots of rise balls. Our hitters could not lay off the rise ball,” Leiker said. “It’s probably easier said than done when you get in that box. We need more patience at the plate though. In the long run, it’s a good start for what we have in front of us.”

Durr registered two hits to lead the offense, while Sims finished with one hit, one run and one steal. Swank tallied one hit and one RBI.

Sims leads the Cardinals with an on-base percentage of .523 and has tallied a team-high 40 runs, 71 total bases and 22 steals. Swank’s RBI in the 11th brought her team-high total to 23.

Benson had one hit and one walk, Sumpter walked twice and Brodersen and Ryan each tallied one hit. Sumpter leads Newton with 17 walks.

Knoxville (10-11) was led at the plate by Hannah Dunkin and Marlea Cox, who each had two hits.

Bondurant-Farrar 2, Newton 1

BONDURANT — Ava Williams slugged a solo home run in the fourth inning, but the Cardinals were limited to three hits in a 2-1 road loss to Bondurant-Farrar on Wednesday.

The Class 4A No. 11 Lady Jays out-hit Newton 5-3 and scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth.

“We played well but were just a little bit off,” Leiker said. “We need to have more patience at the plate. This part of the season is tough. We just have to show up and be ready for whatever situation is thrown at us.”

It was the fourth homer of the season for Williams, who also walked twice. Durr and Brodersen had the other two hits, Swank was hit by a pitch and Ryan walked once.

Sumpter took a tough loss in the circle after allowing two earned runs on five hits, one walk and one hit batter in six innings. She struck out one and lowered her earned run average to 2.99.

Jacki Baas (19-8) was the winning pitcher. She allowed one earned run on three hits, three walks and one hit batter and she fanned three in seven innings.

It was the third straight win for Bondurant-Farrar (24-9). The Lady Jays have won seven of their past nine games.