WICHITA – The Newman baseball team came close to taking a home series sweep against St. Edward's, but instead settled for a split to win the series, 2-1Saturday at McCarthy Field. In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Jets held off a late SEU rally for a 5-4 win. The Hilltoppers were able to complete a comeback and then some in the second game, scoring 18 unanswered runs in the final four innings to end the series with a 20-12 win.

Game 1: Newman 5, St. Edward's 4
St. Edward's (17-12, 11-7 HC) scored the first run of the game off a Daniel Homann double in the top of the first. Newman (13-18, 7-13 HC) answered with three runs in the bottom of the first taking the lead, 3-1. David Longmore reached based on a fielder's choice, and advanced to second on a Mike Williams' single. The next single from Ryan Engrav brought Longmore in to put the Jets on the board. Thomas Robulack's single up the middle advanced Williams and Engrav home for Newman's first three runs.

Newman added two more runs in the third. With two outs, Engrav singled, advanced to second on a fielding error, and then went to third on a wild pitch from SEU's Landon Patterson. A left field single from Scot Palmer allowed Engrav to continue home. Another wild pitch moved Palmer to second. Palmer advanced home on a Robulack single.

The Hilltoppers came close in the seventh inning scoring three runs off three hits, but it was not enough to stop the Jets concluding the first game, 5-4.

Brandon Droge pitched the entire seven innings for the win, allowing four runs off eight hits. Engrav and Robulack went two-for-two at the plate, while Corey Cowan went two-for-three.

Game 2: St. Edward's 20, Newman 12
The Hilltoppers again scored the first run of the game in the third inning, but the Jets followed with two runs in the same inning. A single and stolen base put Jacob Gaul on second base. Corey Cowan hit a RBI triple, and then tagged up to score on a David Longmore line out to center.

St. Edwards scored one run in the fourth tying the game, 2-2.

Engrav and Palmer each doubled to start the fourth inning. Brett Delcambre followed with a home run over the left-centerfield fence to score two more runs. Bonebrake kept things rolling with a single, followed by a stolen second base. John Bonebrake was batted in off a Cowan double down the left-field line. Longmore followed with a double bringing Cowan home. Another double, this time from Mike Williams, scored Longmore for the final run, ending the inning with the Jets on top, 8-2.

The Jets continued their run in the fifth starting with a double by Palmer, followed by a Robulack double that scored Palmer. A Bonebrake single advanced Robulack to third. Gaul singled to score Robulack and moved Bonebrake to third. A Longmore single scored both Bonebrake and Gaul and gave the Jets a 12-2 lead.

Everything was looking positive for the Jets after the fifth, until the gears shifted. The Hilltoppers scored one run in the sixth, two in the seventh, eight in the eighth, and seven in the ninth, producing 17 of their 20 hits in those four innings. That, combined with a handful of costly errors on the part of the Jets led the Hilltoppers to the 20-12 win.

The doubleheader split moves Newman to a 13-19 overall record, and 7-14 Heartland Conference record. The Jets will continue play on Tuesday, April 5 at McCarthy Field against the Washburn Ichabods at 5 p.m.