SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The most successful season in Newman softball's short history as an NCAA Div. II institution came to a close with a 2-0 loss to St. Edward's Friday afternoon in the second round of the 2011 Heartland Conference Softball Championship tournament in San Antonio, Texas.

Thursday's elimination game was a pitcher's duel from the first pitch as Newman (12-29) freshman starter Sarah Fipps took on St. Edward's (25-29) ace Paige Sandahl for the right to stay alive in the tournament. Fipps yielded her first hit on the second Hilltopper she faced, then retired six of the next seven batters she faced. Her only blemish during that time was a second inning walk. Sandahl, meanwhile, retired the first three Jets she faced before giving up a single to Erin Monday in the bottom of the second inning. The Jets followed with a fielder's choice to Tracey Stefanski, Sandahl got out of the inning by striking out Katie Traffas.

Strikeouts became the name of the game for Sandahl in the innings that followed. The SEU hurler fanned six Jets over the next three innings.

The Hilltoppers finally broke the offensive ice in the sixth, taking advantage of a Newman fielding error, a double, and a well-placed single down the right field line to plate two runs on two hits, and giving the Jets just six outs to make up a 2-0 deficit.

Newman looked to be up to the task, opening the sixth inning with a Steph Harshberger bunt single. Fipps followed by reaching on an errant fielding attempt by the SEU centerfielder, giving the Jets runners on first and second with nobody out, but Sandahl ended the threat with back-to-back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam.

The Jets' final gasp came up short when Sarah Stutts doubled to left with two outs in the seventh, but Emily Zimmerman's fly ball to center field wasn't quite long enough, and Newman was sent packing with a 2-0 loss.

Harshberger, Monday and Lauren Rorebeck each finished 1-for-3 at the plate to lead the Jets, while Stutts finished 1-for-2. Fipps finished with a pitching effort that would result in a win more often than not, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits in a complete seven-inning affair while striking out six and walking one.

Sandahl finished her complete game shutout by holding Newman to just four hits with one walk and 14 strikeouts.

With the loss, the Jets end their season with a 12-29 record. Friday's loss was the final outing for Emily Zimmerman, Lauren Rorebeck, and Tracey Stefanski, who will graduate this May.