LAREDO, Texas- The Newman softball team was swept in Heartland Conference action at Texas A&M International on Friday and Saturday, 4-3, 10-1, and 1-0 in Laredo, Texas.

Game 1:

Neither team could capture the momentum early in Friday's opener, as both teams combined for one hit in the opening two innings. Newman (3-16, 1-3 Heartland) put a run on the board in the third, when Sarah Stutts reached on an error by the second baseman. Stutts advanced to second, as Erin Carney reached on another Texas A&M International (10-26) error. Steph Harshberger's fielders choice forced Stutts out, but advanced Carney to third. Erin Monday's fielders choice plated Carney to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. 

Newman stuck again in the fifth, taking advantage of two TAMIU errors to put two more runs across the plate, to gain a 3-0 advantage. The Dustdevils came up in the bottom of the seventh, with a last gasp three run inning to send the game to extra innings. The Jets couldn't do any damage in the top of the eighth, while TAMIU used one hit and one Newman error to score the game-winner in its half of the inning to win 4-3.

Sarah Fipps went the distance for Newman, pitching 7.2 innings, giving up four runs (three earned), and striking out four.

Game 2:

Texas A&M International (11-26) wasted little time in Game 2, scoring five runs in the first two innings to take a 5-0 lead. Newman (3-17, 1-4 Heartland) struck in the third, when Steph Harshberger reached on an error by the right fielder. Erin Monday's single advanced Harshberger to third, and Katie Traffas' ground-out to first base scored Harshberger to cut the deficit to 5-1. The Jets never could slow the Dustdevils' bats down, as TAMIU scored five more runs in the final four innings, en route to a 10-1 run-rule victory. 

Erin Monday, Katie Traffas, and Briana Hallacy recorded the only hits for Newman.

Game 3:

The final game of the series saw a pitchers' dual until the fifth inning. Sarah Fipps came on in relief of Stephanie Smolsky for Newman (3-18, 1-5 Heartland), and shut down Texas A&M International (12-26). The Jets threatened in the fourth inning when Sarah Fipps singled to left field, and advanced to second on an Erin Monday single. A passed ball sent Fipps to third, but a Sarah Balderas pop-up ended the inning. 

The Dustdevils finally got to Fipps in the fifth, when they plated one runs on two hits to take a 1-0 lead. That was all TAMIU needed, as the Dustdevils were never seriously threatened to complete the three-game sweep. Monday led the Newman offense with a perfect, 3-for-3 day at the plate. 

Newman continues its six-game road trip on March 30 when they travel to Austin, Texas to take on St. Edward's. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.