WICHITA - Emily Zimmerman's three home runs helped Newman open its three-game softball series with St. Edward's on a high note, but SEU rallied for wins in the second and third games to win the series. Newman won the opening game with a 9-5 decision, before falling 12-1 and 3-2 in the final two games.

Game 1: Newman 9, St. Edward's 5
St. Edward's (20-21, 6-4 Heartland) scored two runs in the top of the first to take the early edge, but Newman (7-22, 3-8 Heartland) answered with a solo home run from Emily Zimmerman to cut the Hilltopper lead in half. After the opening frame, SEU held a 2-1 lead.

After a scoreless second inning, the Hilltoppers added another run in the third, but once again, Newman answered in its half of the inning. Pitcher Sarah Fipps got things started with a solo home run to straight-away center. Erin Monday followed with a double to left-center. Back-to-back walks from SEU reliever Diana Cezeaux loaded the bases for Katie Traffas, who doubled to left-center to score Monday and Tracey Stefanski. After three innings, Newman held a 4-3 lead.

The Hilltoppers tied things up with a single run in the fourth, but Newman had yet another answer. Zimmerman started the Newman fourth with a single to left, then stole second before Steph Harshberger walked, giving Newman runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners advanced a base thanks to a wild pitch, and both scored on a Fipps single to right field. With three innings remaining, Newman had regained the lead, 6-4.

St. Edward's scored their final run of the contest in the fifth, and Newman was ready to answer. Zimmerman pushed the Newman lead back to two runs (7-5) with her second home run of the contest, a line drive over the right field fence that gave the Jets a 7-5 lead.

Newman added two more runs for good measure in the sixth, and again Zimmerman was the culprit. After watching Traffas open the inning with a single down the left field line, Zimmerman notched her third home run of the game, this time over the left field fence to give the Jets the 9-5 lead they went on to win by.

Zimmerman finished the game with a 4-for-5 record at the plate, scoring four runs and notching four RBI in the process. Traffas added a 3-for-4 outing with a run and two RBI, while Fipps finished at 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Newman starter Sarah Fipps earned her second win of the season, giving up five earned runs on six hits while striking out four and walking three in six innings of work.

Game 2: St. Edward's 12, Newman 1 (5 Innings)
As good as things were in the opening game, they were equally bad for Newman (7-23, 3-9 Heartland) in the second game. St. Edward's (21-21, 7-4 Heartland) opened the game with a pair of runs in the first, then added three in the second and four in the third to take a 9-0 lead after three innings.

The Jets scored their only run of the contest in the third when Steph Harshberger, who reached on a walk, scored on an Erin Monday single up the middle, and cut the SEU advantage to 9-1, but that was all Newman could muster. The Hilltoppers answered with two more runs in the fourth and one in the fifth on their way to the 12-1 run-rule win.

Harshberger and Monday were responsible for Newman's only hits in the ontest. Each finished 1-for-2 at the plate. Harshberger scored a run, while Monday added an RBI. Newman starter Stephanie Smolsky was hit with the loss, giving up five earned runs on nine hits in just 1.2 innings of work.

Game 3: St. Edward's 3, Newman 2
The two teams concluded the series with a pitcher's duel. After three scoreless innings, St. Edward's (22-21, 8-4 Heartland) made the first move with a single run in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead.

It wasn't until the sixth inning that Newman (7-24, 3-10 Heartland) could post its first run of the contest. Steph Harshberger opened the inning with a walk, then moved to second on a single from Sarah Fipps. Harshberger eventually scored when Lauren Rorebeck grounded out to third, but the Jets had tied the game at 1-1 with an inning to play.

The Hilltoppers took what they felt like was complete control of the game in their half of the seventh, using the long ball to plate two runs, and take a 3-1 lead.

Newman had an answer in the seventh, but it wasn't quite enough. Emily Zimmerman doubled down the left field line, then scored on a Fipps single, pulling the Jets to within one run with runners on first and second with two outs, but a potentially controversial strike-out call ended the game, and left the Jets one run short in a 3-2 loss.

Fipps stole the show for the Jets, both offensively and defensively. The freshman was Newman's most productive performer at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI, and also limited the Hilltoppers to just three earned runs on six hits in seven innings of work from the pitcher's circle.

Newman will return to action Wednesday, hosting Southwestern Oklahoma State in the team's final home series of the season. First pitch at Newman Softball Field is slated for 3 p.m.