STEPHENVILLE, Texas - The 2011 Newman softball season got a slow start Saturday afternoon, as the Jets suffered a two-game sweep at the hands of Tarleton State. Newman dropped its opener in an 8-0 six-inning run-rule game, before falling 9-1 in the second game of the double-header.

Game 1: Tarleton 8, Newman 0
The Newman bats were held nearly silent in its season-opener. Tarleton's Samantha Swanda held Newman scoreless over six innings, limiting the Jets to just two hits and 12 strike outs. Newman's only hits came at the hands of Emily Zimmerman and Anna Scheuffele. Meanwhile, Newman pitcher Sarah Fipps faced the opposite problem. The TexAnns tagged Fipps for eight runs on 10 hits in the run-rule-shortened contest. Fipps walked two TexAnns while striking out two.

Game 2: Tarleton 9, Newman 1
The Jets scored their first run of the season, but couldn't find a way to slow the Tarleton bats as the TexAnns completed the sweep with a 9-1 win over the Jets in Saturday's late game. Newman's run came in the top of the fourth inning, and again, Zimmerman was responsible for it. That run was nearly the only offensive highlight for the Jets, who were held to just three hits in the contest.

Newman pitcher Stephanie Smolsky threw four innings in her debut as a jet. Smolsky allowed nine runs on 10 hits while walking three and striking out one.

The sweep drops the Jets to 0-2 in the early season. Newman will return to action Friday, traveling to Durant, Okla., for the South Central Shootout hosted by Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Newman will open the tournament with a 10 a.m. contest against Central Oklahoma, and will face Northeastern State, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Washburn, Abilene Christian, and Missouri Western before the event concludes on Sunday.