GRANDBY, Mo. — East Newton scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to earn a 3-1 win in a pitcher’s duel against College Heights on Friday.
The loss was the first of the season for College Heights, as the Cougars are 5-1 to start the year.
Neither team mustered much offense through the first five innings with the Patriots’ Katie Kester and Cougars’ Maddy Colin both dealing in the circle.
East Newton broke through in the bottom of the sixth when Kenzie Massey doubled home Kayla Higginbotham on a liner to center. Makenna Braiser followed with an RBI single to center to score Massey and pushed the East Newton lead to 2-0. Alexa Harris hit a two-out, two-run double to left later in the frame to wrap the scoring.
Layne Jackson singled with a runner on for College Heights to start the seventh. After a fielder’s choice out, Sarah Painter brought home Good with a sac fly to center to trim the deficit to 3-1. Kester earned a strikeout and a groundout to end the threat and the game.
Kester earned the win after allowing one run on one hit, no walks and 10 strikeouts in a complete seven innings.
Colin was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits and nine strikeouts in six complete innings.
Alexa Harris-Smith, who doubled, Higginbotham and Braiser each had two hits for East Newton. Massey and Harris also doubled. Massey, Braiser and Harris-Schmidt each had an RBI.
Jackson had CHC’s lone hit, while Painter had the lone RBI.
College Heights hosts Miller at 5 p.m. on Monday.
