WEATHERFORD, Okla. - The Newman softball team dropped a pair of non-conference contests, falling 4-2 and 7-4 to Southwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday afternoon at SWOSU Softball Park in Weatherford, Okla.

Game 1: SWOSU 4, Newman 2
Newman (1-8) made the first move in Tuesday's opening game. After a scoreless first inning, Sarah Fipps opened the second inning with a singled, then advanced to third on a Tracey Stefanski double. Fipps then scored on Brianna Hallacy's single to plate the first run of the game. After back-to-back strike-outs, Stefanski scored on an error by the SWOSU shortstop as the Bulldogs tried to catch Hallacy stealing. Heading into the bottom of the second, Newman held a 2-0 lead.

Southwestern Oklahoma State (7-4) answered in its half of the second, tagging Newman starter Stephanie Smolsky for two runs on two hits. After two, the game was tied, 2-2.

The Bulldogs broke the tie in the fourth, plating two more runs on three hits to take the 4-2 advantage they went on to win by.

Stefanski finished 2-for-3 with a run scored to lead the Jets in the loss. Smolsky pitched four innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits as she was hit with the loss, falling to 1-5 on the season.

Game 2: SWOSU 7, Newman 4
Southwestern Oklahoma State (8-4) took an early 1-0 lead, using two hits to plate one run in the second inning. Newman (1-9) answered in the fourth. Emily Zimmerman reached on an error to open the inning, then moved to second on a Sarah Fipps single. A Tracey Stefanski double allowed Zimmerman to score from second, tying the game at 1-1 with three innings remaining.

The Bulldogs responded by adding four runs on five hits and one Jet error to take a 5-1 lead, but the Jets were far from finished. With one out in the sixth, Fipps doubled, then moved to third on a Stefanski single. Both Fipps and Stefanski scored when a three-run home run from Erin Monday brought Newman to within one, 5-4, but SWOSU retired the side with a one-run lead.

SWOSU added two insurance runs on four hits in the sixth, and this time Newman couldn't recover, falling 7-4 in the final game of the doubleheader.

Erin Monday and Tracey Stefanski each finished two-for-three in the loss. Monday added a run and three RBI, while Stefanski finished with one run scored and one batted in. Sarah Fipps was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits in 4.1 innings of relief.

After the sweep, the Jets fall to 1-9 on the season. They will return to action on Tuesday, March 8 when they host the Southwest Baptist Bearcats in their home opener at Newman Softball Field.