Newton Hands Oskaloosa Two Loses
by Jamie Brockman
The Oskaloosa softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Newton Monday night falling 4-0 in game one, and 14-8 in the second game.
Earlier this season, Oskaloosa won a 12 inning thriller at Newton, but tonight, Newton pitcher Payton Maher once again shut down the Indians bats, allowing just three hits and no runs while striking out 10 and walking three in game one. Hayle Hacker took the loss for Oskaloosa pitching into the seventh inning allowing three runs on seven hits with 10 strikeouts and one walk before Addison Gerard finished the seventh inning allowing one run on two hits.
The Indians came back strong in game two scoring one run in the first inning, two in the third and five runs in the fourth off Newton pitcher Kallie Van Kley. Enjoying what appeared to be a pretty comfortable 8-1 lead after four innings, things changed for the worst in the top of the fifth inning as Newton rocked Oskaloosa and erupted for 11 runs. A defensive change saw Macey Krier come in to catch as Meghan Moorman moved to shortstop replacing Maddie Haines. Kya Butler drew a leadoff walk from Osky pitcher Faith Deronde, followed by a Mackenzie Brown single.
After a groundout for the first out, Payton Maher ripped a double scoring two runs. Chassidy Henwood singled then Deronde walked Madison Thayer.
Coach Jay Harms elected to bring Hayle Hacker in to pitch for Deronde, and the usual strong Hacker struggled giving up two hits right off the bat, a single by Taylor Lust and a bunt single from Anna Bebout which scored Henwood. Thayer then scored on a wild pitch and things were really unraveling quickly for Oskaloosa. After a Malarie Zach walk, Butler, batting for the second time in the inning, reached on an error allowing Lust to score, then Brown singled home two more Cardinal runs. It didn’t end there as Lakin Jenkins reached on another Osky error allowing Butler to score, Maher then singled home Jenkins before Osky recorded the final two outs.
All said and done… things went from Osky leading 8-1 to Osky trailing 12-8 in one-half inning. Badly needing an answer, the Indians went down in order in the bottom of the fifth. Newton added two more runs in the sixth before Coach Harms brought Abby Braundmneier in to pitch relieving Hacker. The end result, Newton gets the 14-8 win sweeping the Indians for two big LHC wins, ending a stretch where Osky had won five of their last six games. Oskaloosa fell to 15-11 overall and 6-9 in the LHC. The Indians step away from conference play Tuesday night when they travel to Eddyville Blakesburg Fremont to face the Rockets for a 7:30 pm varsity start, then travel to Norwalk for a single game Wednesday night and will end the week with a doubleheader at Pella Friday night.
