SPORTS

Salina Central softball swept by Newton and McPherson in triangular

Paul K. Mogenson

Salina Journal

Newton’s Railers spent their portion of a softball triangular at Salina South on Thursday afternoon mashing the ball to all corners of the field.

Tegan Livesay cut down opposing batters to give Newton a sweep over McPherson and Salina Central. The Railers opened with a 16-3 victory over Central, then topped McPherson, 11-1.

McPherson beat Salina Central 12-0 in the final game.

In the opener against the host Mustangs, Mallory Seirer, Olivia Sandoval and Toria Thaw combined for 10 hits and 11 RBIs to lead Newton. That could have created a run-rule victory, but Central fought it out to the end and forced the game to go all seven innings.

Newton scored twice in the first inning and added four more in the second.

Central got on the board in the fourth when Cheyenne O’Connor walked, moved to third on Madilynn Crough’s single and came home on Mackenzie Maring’s sacrifice bunt.

Central added another run in the fourth when Annie Loucks doubled home Emily Kvasnicka, and the Mustangs' their third run came in the sixth on Loucks’ RBI single.

McPherson’s Jacie Myers (12) hits a double during the game against Newton during the Salina Central triangular at Salina South on Thursday.

Newton added single runs in the in the fourth and fifth, two in the sixth and finished it off with a six-run seventh.

“We’re 6-8 as we played a lot of tough games early on,” Newton coach Danny Park said. “We’re hitting well, we’re playing defense pretty well. Overall, we’re getting to the point we need to be at this point in the season.”

Park added that Thursday was the first time he had let Livesay pitch consecutive games, but he said he was grooming her for bigger things as the season winds down.

More:LOCAL SCOREBOARD

“To this point, I rotate my three pitchers, but we’re trying to build her stamina because when we get to regionals she might be the only pitcher we use," Park said.

Once the Railers finished off Central, they made fairly quick work of McPherson in five innings.

The Bullpups got on the board in the first, but Newton scored 10 times in the first three innings and ended it on the 10-run rule with one in the fifth.

From that setback, McPherson bounced back with a run-rule victory of its on against Central to end the triangular.

McPherson’s Brette Dolile (9) throws a pitch during the game against Newton during the Salina Central triangular at Salina South on Thursday.

The Bullpups got a three-hitter from Brette Doile in the circle. The Bullpup offense backed up their pitcher and benefited from seven Mustang errors, three walks and a pair of hit batters.

“It was a good rebound for us mentally, to come back and win game two,” McPherson coach Danica Fitzmorris said. “Newton has some pretty good hitters and they hit the ball really well. They locate well.

"Since one of our pitchers is injured, Brette had to handle both games tonight and that’s a lot of pitches to throw. I’m really proud of her.”

The split gave McPherson a record of 4-6.

McPherson’s Brette Doile (9) tries bunting the ball during the game against Newton during the Salina Central triangular at Salina South on Thursday.

In the nightcap, McPherson took full advantage of a multitude of Mustang mistakes.

The Bullpups got five runs, three unearned, to open things in the first and then got four of six runs in the fourth with Central help.

Doile gave up a single to Emmy Haller and doubles to Maci Ingram and Caroline Brady.

“It’s all a mental game,” Central coach Alyssa Waldron said. “We’re too busy beating ourselves when we’re a good team.

“Those errors are big, especially for our pitcher who’s producing those playable outs. You can’t play against errors. It’s a domino effect.”

Central dropped to 3-8 with the losses and will play McPherson and Salina South on Tuesday at South.