A. Layer hits 2-run homer, but N. Newton scores 5 in 5th, ends Pioneer’s season

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Softball

Ava Beasy

North Newton 7, Pioneer 4 (Wednesday): Averi Layer hit a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh, but No. 12 North Newton hung on to beat No. 14 Pioneer in a Class 1A, Sectional 50 semifinal at North White Wednesday.

Madyson Shaffer and Tori Bingaman added two hits each for Pioneer. Lois Layer, Ava Ott and Ava Beasy added one hit each. Shaffer also had an RBI on a sacrifice bunt prior to Averi Layer’s homer.

Lois Layer took the loss in the circle, allowing nine hits and seven runs while walking one and striking out five.

Pioneer committed three errors, including two in North Newton’s five-run fifth inning that led to all the runs being unearned.

Rylynn Klemz hit her second three-run homer in as many days for North Newton. Her homer off Lois Layer made it 4-0, and Addison Culbreth added a two-out RBI double later in the inning.

Pioneer scored an unearned run of their own in the bottom of the fifth when Shaffer reached on an error to score Bingaman.

North Newton stretched the lead to 7-1 in the seventh.

Bingaman led off the seventh with a single, and she went to second on Hallie Lebo’s groundout. Ava Bell reached on a sacrifice bunt and an error with Bingaman advancing to third. 

Shaffer’s RBI bunt made it 7-2, and Averi Layer followed with her homer.

Lois Layer flew out to end the game.

Pioneer finished 14-11.

Beasy is the only senior.

North Newton 7, Pioneer 4

North Newton 000 050 2 – 7 9 4

Pioneer 000 010 3 – 4 8 3

WP – Jones (7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K)

LP – Lois Layer (7 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

2B – Scheidt 2 (NN), Culbreth (NN), Klemz (NN), Lois Layer (PIO)

HR – Klemz (NN), Averi Layer (PIO)