AUSTIN, Texas - The Newman baseball team opened its season with a Heartland Conference sweep, defeating the St. Edward's Hilltoppers 7-6 and 8-7 Monday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field in Austin, Texas. Temperatures in the mid-40's didn't phase the Jets, who opened the season with a sweep for the first time as an NCAA Div. II institution.

Game 1: Newman 7, St. Edward's 6
The Newman baseball team opened its season with a 7-6 win over Heartland Conference rival St. Edward's Monday afternoon at Lucian-Hamilton Field in Austin, Texas. Mike Williams and Brandon Cox each finished with four-hit games to lead the Jets to the season-opening win.

St. Edward's (0-1, 0-1 Heartland) made the first move, earning its first run of the season in the first inning of the game when Dylan Schuch took advantage of a botched pick-off attempt at first by Newman's Steven Trevino, but Trevino struck out the side and escaped the first inning relatively unharmed, trailing 1-0 with six innings remaining.

The Hilltoppers struck again in the fourth, tagging Trevino for four runs on three hits and a Jet error, as the hosts seemed to have control of the game, leading 5-0 heading into the fifth inning.

Newman (1-0, 1-0 Heartland) wasn't finished, however. Brandon Cox opened the fifth with a single to center field. Trent Bierman followed by reaching base on a walk, and Brett Delcambre singled up the middle, and suddenly the Jets found themselves with the bases loaded and nobody out. Pinch-hitting for left-fielder Jay Hall, Dale Steele made his Newman debut with an RBI single through the left side in his first at bat of the season. Centerfielder John Bonebrake kept the rally rolling for the Jets with a single up the middle that allowed Bierman to score from third. At that point, St. Edward's skipper Rob Penders decided he had seen enough, and relieved SEU starter Stephen Johnson of his pitching duties, opting instead for sophomore Matt Anderson. The change didn't phase the Jets one bit. Ryan Peterson took the easy way to first, earning an RBI walk to score Brett Delcambre from third, drawing the Jets to within 5-3, still with nobody out, and with third-baseman Kori Melo stepping to the plate. Melo delivered in a big way, sending a double to left field, and allowing three runs to score. Mike Williams made sure Melo scored for his efforts with an RBI single to centerfield. Heading into the bottom of the fifth, Newman found itself with a 7-5 lead.

St. Edward's tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the fifth, but could only muster one run on three hits.

Leading 7-6 with two innings remaining, Newman head coach Leonard Rau brought Zach Biery into the game to relieve Trevino, and Biery took care of business, retiring all eight batters he faced, and earning his first save of the season to make sure the Jets opened the season on a good note with the 7-6 win.

Melo finished 2-for-3 in the game with three RBI and a run scored. Trevino (1-0) allowed six runs, four of which were earned, while walking two and striking out five in five innings of work.

Game 2: Newman 8, St. Edward's 7
The Jets picked up where they left off in the second game Monday afternoon. Newman (2-0, 2-0 Heartland) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, and added a run in the second, but the Hilltoppers countered with two runs in their half of the second to draw within one. Neither team scored again until the fifth inning when Newman added a single run, and added four in the sixth to take an 8-2 lead. St. Edward's made things interesting late in the game, putting up a five-spot in the eighth, but that was all they could muster as the Jets completed the season-opening sweep.

More to come.