Box Score AUSTIN, Tex. – The Newman baseball team lost both games of an afternoon doubleheader against St. Edward's on Friday, 7-3 and 4-2, as the Jets couldn't seem to find the big hit they needed to secure their first victory of the season.
 
Game 1: St. Edward's 7, Newman 3
The Jets got their offense rolling early in the first game.  After Jarrod Flax drew a walk to lead off the game, Terrell Brown moved him over to second base on a sacrifice bunt.  Flax came around to score on a two-out double by catcher Ruben Marrero, and the Jets took a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the first. 
 
That lead was short lived though, as the Hilltoppers took advantage of control issues for Newman starter Elliot Velasquez to plate three runs in the bottom of the inning.  St. Edward's used two walks, a hit batsman and a squeeze bunt to score two runs without a hit, scoring their third run on a sacrifice fly to left after a single to load the bases. 
 
The Hilltoppers would add to their lead in the bottom of the second, after a leadoff single and an errant pickoff throw put a runner at second with nobody out.  Leadoff man Taylor Johnson singled to left field to plate the run, and the Hilltoppers were up 4-1 after two innings.  St. Edward's added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 5-1 after four innings of the shortened seven inning game.
 
The Jets finally punched back in the top of the fifth, stringing five hits together to plate two runs and cut the lead to 5-3.  The Hilltoppers brought and end to the Newman momentum with a timely strikeout with runners at second and third, then added a run in the bottom of the fifth and a bottom of the sixth to stretch the lead to the 7-3 final.
 
Game 2: St. Edward's 4, Newman 2
The second game of the doubleheader saw a duel of starting pitchers, with both starters working into the eighth inning for their teams.  Newman starter Zac Mickens was saddled with the loss despite a strong outing, giving the Jets a chance to win through seven and a third innings of work.
 
Both teams were held scoreless through the first three innings, with Mickens surrendering just one hit through the first three frames.  The Hilltoppers broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth, cashing in on a leadoff triple by Nate Bobrowski with a one out single to left to put them up 1-0 after four innings of play.
 
The Jets would answer immediately to the Hilltopper lead, as Tanner Vinson got the offense rolling with a leadoff single to center field.  After Christian Dye singled with one out, Jarrod Flax plated Vinson thanks to a throwing error on the third baseman and put runners at the corners with one out.  Shanan Engroff executed a squeeze bunt to score Dye and give the Jets a 2-1 lead after five innings. 
 
The Hilltoppers answered back an inning later when Taylor Johnson launched a ball to deep center field, running all the way around the bases to score on an inside-the-park home run to tie the game at 2-2.  The score would remain locked until the bottom of the eighth, when St. Edward's strung three hits together to finally chase Mickens from the game and plate two runs to go up 4-2.  AJ Rataic came in and slammed the door in the top of the ninth, sending the Jets down in order to convert the save and seal the 4-2 win. 
 
With the losses, the Jets fall to 0-5 on the season (0-5 Heartland).  They will wrap up the series with one more game against St. Edward's tomorrow afternoon, first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.