Softball: Newman blanks Polo in season opener

POLO – The Newman and Polo softball teams came out with cold bats Tuesday evening in the season opener for both teams at Westside Park, but the Comets came alive in the sixth inning, scoring three runs on their way to a 4-0 victory.

Both teams were held scoreless through five innings, as starting pitchers Madelynn Jones and Jess Johns brought the heat early.

Jones started hot for Polo in the top of the first, inducing a flyout to left field before notching back-to-back strikeouts in the first three at-bats. She recorded seven more strikeouts over the next four innings and kept going strong until the top of the sixth, when Nicole Boelens relieved her.

Johns struck out the first three hitters she faced and went the distance for a complete-game shutout, registering 15 strikeouts and surrendering just two hits and two walks.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Polo threatened to take the lead when it got runners on first and third after a Natalie Nelson line-drive grounder to centerfield and a Boelens walk. But shortly after, Johns recovered and notched a strikeout to end the inning 0-0.

“I knew that I had a really big impact on how the game was going to go,” Johns said. “Obviously, I’m the one touching the ball every time. So I knew that I had to keep myself together in order to kind of lead everyone else, to show everyone to keep together.”

In the top of the sixth inning, Newman outfielder Madison Duhon led off with a grounder past third base, reaching first thanks to an errant throw. With Ady Waldschmidt up to bat, Duhon stole second. Moments later, Waldschmidt singled between second and third base, moving Duhon over to third. Waldschmidt then stole second, a pitching error in Johns’ at-bat scored Duhon, and Waldschmidt advanced to third.

Down 1-0 with a runner on third, Polo made its pitching change, subbing in Boelens.

“It definitely helped a lot,” Johns said, of Newman scoring its first run and getting a few runners on base. “Everyone’s first couple of rounds at the plate did not really go well. It definitely helped touching the ball and just moving people around.”

Johns drew a walk in the subsequent at-bat, then Waldschmidt dove to home plate after a pitching error on the next one to score Newman’s second run, and catcher Carlin Brady drew a walk to score Johns.

“A couple walks here and there, we just took advantage of that in that one inning to put three up,” Newman coach JD Waldschmidt said.

With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Johns hit an RBI double to score Sophie Ely. Boelens induced a flyout to right field on the next at-bat, but the Marcos were down 4-0 heading into the final frame.

Jones led off with a walk, but was thrown out at second on a Lindee Poper fielder’s choice. Johns induced a groundout for out No. 2, then tossed one final strikeout to seal the win.

“I tip my cap to [Jess Johns]. She did a nice job. She had no idea she was pitching until the bottom of the first,” Coach Waldschmidt said. “We made a change in our lineup, just made a coaching decision to make a change, and she came in and threw great. It’s nice knowing we’ve got that 1-2 punch that we had over the last few years, and it’s going to be nice to have.”

“Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but I’m happy we pulled it out, and I think that it was a great place to start,” Johns said of the season-opening win.

Waldschmidt went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Johns finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk.