In a game dominated by pitching and defense, the Newton Eagles Varsity 2025 came up just short in a 3-1 loss to the Farina South Central Cougars on Thursday, despite outhitting their opponent 7-3.
Logan Ochs delivered a strong performance on the mound for Newton, going the distance and recording 21 outs over seven innings. Ochs allowed only three hits and three runs while striking out four and walking one. His solid effort kept the Eagles within reach throughout the contest.
Offensively, Gavin Meinhart was the standout for Newton, going 2-for-3 and driving in the team’s only run with a single in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1. He led the Eagles with two hits, as Newton spread out their offensive production with five other players collecting one hit apiece.
However, the momentum shifted in the top of the fifth when South Central’s Seth Jones launched a clutch home run to left field, scoring two and giving the Cougars a 3-1 lead that held for the remainder of the game. Jones finished with all three RBIs for South Central, making the most of his lone hit.
Despite the loss, Newton showed sharp defense, turning a double play and keeping the game within striking distance. On the mound for South Central, Chase Guerrettaz pitched a complete game, giving up seven hits and one unearned run while striking out two and walking none.
It was a tough loss for the Eagles, who out-hit their opponent and showed strong pitching and defensive execution. They’ll look to convert that solid play into runs in their next outing.
