WICHITA - The Newman baseball team saw its losing streak extend to six games over the weekend, as the St. Edward's Hilltoppers swept the weekend series with the Jets.

Game 1 - St. Edward's 7, Newman 3 (Friday, Mar. 30)
Newman (17-11, 12-10 Heartland) stole the early momentum in Friday's series opener. Tanner Vinson opened the game with a triple to right-center, then scored on a passed ball. Jerrod Flax kept things going in the opening frame, and reached base on a walk. Flax then stole second before scoring on an RBI single to right off the bat of Corey Cowan. After the opening frame, Newman held a 2-0 advantage.

St. Edward's (19-8, 15-6 Heartland) tied the game with a pair of runs in the third, then blew the contest open with a four-run fourth inning that gave the Hilltoppers a 6-2 edge.

The Jets gained a run back in the fourth when Cowan singled through the left side, then moved to third on a throwing error at second base, and eventually scored on a fielder's choice. The run narrowed the Hilltopper lead to 6-3, but that was as close as Newman could get. SEU tacked on another run in the sixth, and opened the series with a 7-3 win.

Corey Cowan was the only Newman hitter to record multiple hits, and finished 2-for-3 with a run socred and one batted in. Newman starter Kyle Burkhardt allowed seven runs (two earned) on eight hits with a walk and three strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work, and fell to 4-4 on the season.

Game 2 - St. Edward's 14, Newman 12 (Friday, Mar. 30)
Friday's nightcap started in much the same fashion as the opener. After spotting St. Edward's (20-8, 16-6 Heartland) a first-inning run, Newman (17-12, 12-11 Heartland) answered with three in its half of the frame, and took a two-run, 3-1 advantage after the first inning. After walking as the second batter of the inning, Jerrod Flax took second on a wild pitch, then scored on Corey Cowan's double to left-center. Ruben Marrero folowed with a double to left-center, and scored Cowan in the process. A David Longmore single to right pushed Marrero across the plate, and gave the Jets the 3-1 lead.

After a scoreless second, the Hilltoppers plated five runs on three hits in the third, and took a 6-3 lead. Newman answered again in its turn at bat. With Cowan on first via a walk, Marrero singled throught he left side. A double steal advanced each runner one base. Cowan scored on Shanan Engroff's ground-out to the pitcher, and Marrero scored on Jordan Ollenberger's single up the middle. After three innings, the slug-fest was on, and SEU led, 6-5.

The Hilltoppers were far from satisfied with their one-run lead, and plated four runs on three hits and a pair of Newman errors to take a 10-5 lead. But again, the Jets were up to the task. Tanner Vinson opened the inning by walking, then scored after back-to-back singles from Flax and Tyler Hancock. Both Flax and Hancock went on to score on sacrifice flies, and narrowed the Hilltopper lead to 10-8.

St. Edward's continued to score, plating a pair of runs in the sixth, and single runs in the seventh and eighth, and took a 14-8 lead into the bottom of the eighth.

But again, the Jets refused to die. Back-to-back singles from Hancock and Cowan, combined with David Longmore's hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Engroff, who doubled down the left-field line, and plated both Hancock and Cowan. Ollenberger followed with a single to centerfield, and moved to second on the throw home. Ben Wagner followed with a single of his own, and scored Engroff to pull Newman to within two runs, 14-12. At that point, Hilltopper head coach Rob Penders decided he had seen enough, and brought Stephen Johnson, the 6-4 right-hander who had drawn five major league scouts to McCarthy Field. Johnson's 98-mph fastball shut down the Jets, and forced them to swallow the 14-12 loss.

Jerrod Flax, Tyler Hancock, Corey Cowan and Jordan Ollenberger each recorded three hits in the nightcap. They accounted for seven runs scored and four runs batted in.

Newman starter Brandon Droge had a game to forget, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on nine hits with four walks in just 3.2 innings of work, and fell to 4-4 on the season.

Game 3 - St. Edward's 4, Newman 2 (Saturday, Mar. 31)
Saturday's game opened as a pitcher's duel. After four scoreless innings, St. Edward's (21-8, 17-6 Heartland) broke the ice with a single run in the fifth, and added another in the sixth to take a 2-0 lead.

Newman (17-13, 12-11 Heartland) scored its first run in the sixth, when Ruben Marrero, who walked with two outs, scored on a wild pitch, and pulled the Jets to within 2-1.

The Hilltoppers plated a pair of runs in the eighth, and took a 4-1 lead. Newman tried to come back in the eighth. Jerrod Flax doubled down the right field line, then scored on Tyler Hancock's double, but SEU's star closer, Stephen Johnson, retired the next three Jets to end the threat.

Tanner Vinson and Jerrod Flax each finished 2-for-4 to lead Newman's offense. Starter Jacob Furr allowed just two earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings on the mound, but fell to 3-2 on the season.

After the sweep, the Jets fall to 17-13 on the season. They will look to end their streak Tuesday, traveling to Emporia State for a non-conference contest. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at Emporia's Trusler Sports Complex.