Newhard, Monticello come out on top in pitcher’s duel

DYERSVILLE — Mason Newhard stuffed a $10 bill into his wallet before doing a postgame interview last night.

It was a gift from his father, something to help him get a bite to eat for supper. Dad didn't have enough cash to pay him for his pitching performance.

The unflappable junior threw a complete-game four-hitter to outduel Luke Eldred and help ninth-ranked Monticello to a 2-1 win over Mount Vernon in a Class 2A district semifinal at Commercial Club Park. The Panthers (21-10) play third-ranked Dyersville Beckman (22-16) in a district final Saturday night.

'Coach told me to throw hard in and soft away. I hit my spots really well, and I feel that was the key to my success,' Newhard said. 'Luke Eldred is a great pitcher, too, and I knew coming in that I'd have to do my job.'

Newhard faced 28 batters and threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of them. He didn't walk a soul and struck out five to improve his record to 7-3.

He pitched pretty much right at his season earned run average of 1.11.

'He threw strike one,' said Monticello Coach Josh Soper. 'He went after hitters, attacked. That's the thing about Mason. He doesn't give up freebies, doesn't walk guys. This time of year, it's going to come down to one little thing in games, and knowing you have a pitcher that isn't going to walk guys is a huge advantage to have.'

Eldred, junior son of former major-league pitcher Cal Eldred, didn't walk anyone, either, and gave up one less hit than Newhard. He was betrayed by his defense, with both Monticello runs unearned, one in the first inning and another in the fifth.

A two-out fielding error gave Monti's Matt Manternach a chance to hit in the fifth, and he destroyed a 3-1 fastball over the left fielder's head and to the fence for a tiebreaking and game-winning triple. He singled leading off the game and scored his team's other run.

'I was definitely looking fastball 3-1,' Manternach said. 'I knew with his velocity, if I put the bat on it, it would go. I just wanted to get a base hit, move the runner. That was my main goal.'

'A couple of pitches I'd like to have back,' Eldred said. 'But no regrets.'

Eldred doubled to left-center in the third and scored on an ensuing double to right by Jared Booth. Mount Vernon finished 20-14.

This will be the second time in three years Monticello will play Beckman for the district title. Beckman won the 2013 game en route to a state championship.

'You can't come in with nerves,' Newhard said. 'The top four hitters in our lineup played basketball on a team that was in the substate, so I don't think that will be a problem. No nerves, just go out and play our game.'

Beckman took advantage of six errors to beat Clayton Ridge-Elkader Central, 10-0, in six innings. Colin Squiers ended the game via mercy rule with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.

Pitcher Conner Klostermann only struck out one for the Blazers but didn't walk anyone and gave up just three hits. Freshman Jackson Bennett had three RBIs, with Devon Driscoll adding a pair.

Clayton Ridge-Elkader Central, tri-champion of the Upper Iowa Conferencce, finished 18-13.

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