The Newton Rams and Eastside Eagles varsity baseball teams hit the road Tuesday night in region action.
The Rams picked up a 6-3 victory over the Lovejoy Wildcats, powering their way to four runs in the third frame, while the Eagles fell 5-4 to host Walnut Grove, surrendering the game’s final run on a walk with the bases loaded.
The win gave Newton its fourth consecutive victory, while improving the Rams to 6-2 in Region 2-AAAAAA action, while the Eagles fell to 11-9 overall and 6-4 in Region 8-AAAA.
Rams stay hot
Newton starter Joshua Prince got the win on the mound for the Rams, keeping Lovejoy off the scoreboard in three innings of work.
Prince struck out three while giving up just two hits and a walk, while Alex Johnson and Allen Bowen finished off the game in relief. Bowen gave up a trio of runs, two earned, in the middle innings of the game, while Johnson worked his way out of a two-out bases-loaded jam in the fifth, keeping the Wildcats off the scoreboard.
The Rams collected two hits in the win, coming off the bat of Johnson and Callaway, but Lovejoy stranded 10 runners in the loss despite tallying four base knocks.
Newton led 4-0 after three innings, but Lovejoy put up a run in the fourth and two scores in the fifth before Johnson came on in relief.
The Rams added a run in the fifth and sixth frames, securing the three-run win.
Walk wilts Eagles
A late Eastside rally Tuesday night ended in defeat against Walnut Grove, as the Eagles were unable to hold on in the seventh inning in a 5-4 loss to the Warriors.
The Eagles struck first in the opening inning, but it was the Warriors that held a 4-2 advantage before second baseman Hank Steele tied the game on a 2-out RBI single to left field.
Unfortunately, Eastside wasn’t able to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard in the final frame.
With the Eagles’ Gray Ritchey on the mound, the Warriors’ Bryce Shupe drew a lead-off walk. The walk ended the night for Ritchey and Eastside brought in reliever Chase Raines to shut the rest of the Warriors’ line-up down.
Raines struck on the next two Walnut Grove batters, but moved to second on a stolen base and third on a passed ball. With the winning run on third, Raines intentionally walked the Warriors’ Hunter Rabb and Blake Thiemann, loading the bases and setting up a force at every bag.
With the bags loaded, the only thing Raines couldn’t do was give up a walk. With three men on, Walnut Grove batter Bailey Dutton bided his time, going ahead 3-0 in the count before Raines found his mark. With a 3-1 count, Dutton watched ball four whiz by, giving the Warriors’ a 5-4 home victory.
Ritchey took the loss on the mound for the Eagles, giving up five runs, two earned, in six innings on nine hits and two walks. Ritchey also had five strikeouts.
Chandler Human picked up the win for the Warriors, going seven full innings while allowing four earned runs on 11 hits.
Steele finished 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs, while Austin Holloway, Hunter Ballard, Drew Buckhault and Raines also tallied multi-hit games for the Eagles.
