Box Score WICHITA – After trailing the Rangers all game long, the Jets finally battled back with two runs in the bottom of the ninth to cap a four-run comeback and defeat Northwestern Oklahoma State 8-7.
 
The Rangers wasted no time getting on the board, following up two hit batsmen with three consecutive singles to score three runs and go up 3-0 before the Jets came to bat.  Newman was equal to the task, though, as the first three batters reached base to load up the bases for Ruben Marrero.  Marrero was plunked by the next pitch to move everybody up 90 feet, and the Jets looked to be in business with the bases loaded and nobody out with one run already in.  Tanner Vinson grounded into a double play to plate another run, and the Jets trailed 3-2 after one.
 
Northwestern Oklahoma State was back at it in the top of the second.  After a leadoff single, Brandon Mercer sent the next batter down on strikes, but the following hitter tripled to left center to score the runner from first and chase Mercer from the game.  After the next batter singled to right field to score the runner from third, John Branum retired the next two hitters to stop the bleeding, with the Jets trailing 5-2 after an inning and a half. 
 
The Jets would cut into the lead in the bottom of the inning, with Shanan Engroff and TJ Shedrick drawing one-out walks.  The runners took off on an attempted double steal, and as Engroff slid into third base the catcher's throw sailed into left field to allow him to score and put the score at 5-3.  The Rangers again would answer in the top of the third, though, taking advantage of an error and using two hits to plate two runs and go up 7-3. 
 
Newman would answer the Rangers with a two-spot of their own in the bottom of the third, with Ruben Marrero leading things off with a double to deep left, then advancing to third and eventually scoring on two wild pitches.  Tanner Vinson walked, then scored all the way from first on Shanan Engroff's two-out double to right center to put the score at 7-5 after three innings.
 
The next three innings passed without any scoring, with the Jet bullpen working hard to keep the Ranger bats silent.  Ricky Sanchez led off the bottom of the seventh with an infield single, then stole second and later scored on an RBI single up the box by Tanner Vinson to cut Northwestern Oklahoma State's lead to one.  James Hilts held the Rangers scoreless over the final three frames, surrendering just one hit and giving the Jets an opportunity to win it in the ninth. 
 
Ricky Sanchez again got things rolling for Newman in the ninth, working the count to 3-2 and then drawing a walk to lead the inning off.  Tanner Vinson worked a one out walk and pinch hitter Terrell Brown reached on an infield single to load up the bases for Jordan Ollenberger.  Ollenberger then lifted a fly ball into shallow right field that the second baseman drifted back for, with Sanchez taking off for the plate as soon as the ball was caught.  Sanchez beat the throw home to tie the game up as Vinson headed for third on the throw.  The catcher picked the ball and whipped it to third to try and nail Vinson, but the throw bounced past the third baseman and into left field to allow Vinson to trot home with the winning run and cap the 8-7 victory.  James Hilts improved to 2-0 in picking up the relief win. 
 
With the victory, the Jets pull within one game of the .500 mark, sitting at 16-17 (12-14 Heartland).  They will look to pull above that mark this weekend, with conference rival Texas A&M International coming to town for a three-game matchup in a pivotal Heartland Conference series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 4 p.m. back at McCarthy Field.