PITTSBURG, Kan. - A tale of two games led the Newman softball team to a split with Pittsburg State Wednesday afternoon at the PSU Softball Complex in Pittsburg, Kan. The Jets won the opening game with a 12-5 decision in eight innings, before dropping the night cap, 5-0.

Game 1: Newman 12, Pittsburg State 5 (8 Innings)
Newman (2-12) set the tone in the first inning. Emily Zimmerman opened the game with a single through the left side, then moved to second on Steph Harshberger's sacrifice bunt. An Erin Monday single to left allowed Zimmerman to plate the first run of the game. After watching Monday steal second, Sarah Fipps reached on a throwing error by the PSU third baseman, then moved to second as a result of the overthrow. Monday also scored on the play. Katie Traffas rewarded Fipps' efforts with a double to left field, which allowed Fipps to score, and gave the Jets an early 3-0 lead before the Gorillas had a chance at the plate.

Pittsburg State (4-8) answered with two runs on three hits in their half of the opening frame, narrowing the Jets' lead to 3-2, but the Newman offense was far from done. With two outs and two on, Lauren Rorebeck sent a single to center field and pushed Zimmerman, who reached on a single up the middle, across home plate. Another Monday single allowed Harshberger, who was hit by a pitch, to score, and pushed Newman's lead back to 5-2.

The Gorillas added another run in the third, then tied the game with two more runs in the seventh, and looked to have the game in their hands, but Harshberger laid out and made a diving catch behind third base to rob PSU of the potential game-winning run. The catch forced the game to extra innings tied at 5-5.

Newman erased any doubt in the extra frame. Fipps opened the inning with a single, and allowed Monday, who started the inning on second base due to the International Tie Breaker system, to score. Traffas followed with a single that pushed Fipps to second, while Brianna Hallacy was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Molly Edwards, who pinch-hit for Stutts, walked and forced Fipps home. A Zimmerman sacrifice fly to left plated another Jet run, and put runners on first and second with two outs. Newman followed with three straight hits, including back-to-back doubles, as part of a seven-run inning. The deflated Gorillas weere unable to answer in the eighth, and Newman opened the double-header with a 12-5 win.

Monday finished the first game with a 4-for-5 outing at the plate, adding two runs and four RBI for the Jets, while Zimmerman went 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI in the win. Stephanie Smolsky picked up the win, allowing two hits while pitching two scoreless innings in relief of starter Sarah Fipps.

Pittsburg State 5, Newman 0
As hot as the Newman (2-13) bats were in the opening game, they were every bit as cold in the second game. Pittsburg State (5-8) held the Jets without a hit for the first three innings before Sarah Fipps sent a single to center field with two outs in the fourth. Katie Traffas joined the party with a single up the middle to give the Jets runners on first and second, but Brianna Hallacy struck out to end the inning. Newman didn't record another hit until the seventh inning, when Fipps and Traffas each added another single, but PSU retired the next two batters to end the threat.

Meanwhile, the Gorillas scored four runs over the first two innings, and added another in the sixth on their way to the 5-0 win.

Fipps and Traffas each posted 2-for-3 outings in the loss. Stephanie Smolsky was tagged with the loss, giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits in four innings of work.

With Tuesday's split, the Jets move to 2-13 on the season. They will return to action Friday, hosting Texas A&M International for a Heartland Conference doubleheader. First pitch at Newman Softball Field is slated for 1 p.m.