GOODWELL, Okla. - Hot bats helped lead the Newman baseball team to a Heartland Conference sweep over Oklahoma Panhandle State Friday afternoon at Aggie Park in Goodwell, Okla. The Jets combined for 30 hits and 23 runs in the doubleheader sweep.

Game 1 - Newman 17, OPSU 9
Newman (19-13, 13-12 Heartland) made a strong opening statement in Friday's series opener. The Jets shelled Oklahoma Panhandle State (4-28, 3-19 Heartland) starter Sean Williams in the first inning, and didn't allow the Aggie ace to complete the frame. Tanner Vinson opened the inning with a walk, then stole second and third to give Newman a runner in scoring position without an out. Vinson scored when Tyler Hancock reached on a botched putout attempt on the OPSU first baseman. Hancock moved to second as a result of the error. Ruben Marrero followed Hancock by walking to first.

Newman's next batter, Corey Cowan, flied out to left, and the Aggies appeared to be in position to escape a potential jam, but that was far from the case. The next six Jets to the plate each reached base, and each scored in one way or another. Shanan Engroff did the most damage with a bases-loaded single to right field that gave Newman a 6-0 lead. Engroff went on to score on an RBI double from Vinson's bat, while Vinson scored on a Jerrod Flax's single. His run gave the Jets an 8-0 lead, and forced Williams to be removed from the game. Tyler Hancock welcomed reliever Matt Klacziewicz into the game with an RBI double to right-center that plated Flax, and gave Newman a 9-0 lead before the Aggies ever stepped to the plate.

The Jets added a single run in the second when David Longmore doubled to center, and scored on a single through the right side off the bat of Jordan Ollenberger. The run increased Newman's lead to 10-0.

OPSU finally put itself on the board in the second, but Newman notched five more runs on six hits an an Aggie error in the third to take a 15-1 lead in the seven-inning contest.

The Aggies scored another run in the third, and posted back-to-back three-run innings in the fifth and sixth frames to pull to within 15-8, but Newman put things out of reach with a pair of seventh-inning runs to push its lead to 17-8. OPSU tacked one more run on the board in the seventh, but never seriously threatened the Jets, who cruised to the 17-9 win.

Jordan Ollenberger led the red-hot Newman offense. The sophomore designated hitter finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and four runs batted in as one of six Jets to post multiple hits in the game.

Newman starter Kyle Burkhardt allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts in five innings of work, and improved to 5-4 on the season.

Game 2 - Newman 6, OPSU 2
Newman (20-13, 14-12 Heartland) made the first move once again in Friday's finale. Corey Cowan opened the second inning with a single to left, then moved to third on David Longmore's single up the middle. Longmore stole second to give the Jets a pair of runners in scoring position with nobody out. Jordan Ollenberger loaded the bases with a walk, and set the stage for Jerrod Flax, who reached on a fielder's choice that retired Ollenberger, but scored Cowan. Flax stole second, and an attempt to throw him out from the catcher sailed over the second baseman's head, and allowed Longmore to score to give the Jets a 2-0 lead.

OPSU answered with a solo run in the third, but Newman did one better, notching solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-1 lead.

The score remained 4-1 until the eighth inning. With one out in the eighth, Ollenberger doubled to left field, then scored on a double to right off the bat of Ben Wagner. Wagner went on to score on a Shanan Engroff single, and pushed the Newman advantage to 6-1.

The Aggies added another run in the eighth, but were never an issue from that point forward as Newman claimed the series win with a 6-2 victory.

Ben Wagner and Tyler Hancock led Newman offensively in the win. Wagner finished 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI, while Hancock went 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored.

Jacob Furr allowed just two earned runs on eight hits in seven innings on the mound to improve to 4-2 on the season.

With the sweep, the Jets improve to 20-13 on the season, and 14-12 in Heartland Conference play. The three-game series concludes Saturday with a 1 p.m. start time at Aggie Park.