WICHITA - The Newman softball team got an impressive 7-0 win over Southern Nazarene in game one of a doubleheader and then lost a close 3-1 decision in the nightcap to split with the Crimson Storm on Tuesday (March 10) at the Newman Softball Field. The Jets moved to 3-18 on the season.
 
Newman 7, Southern Nazarene 0
 
Four runs in the fourth inning highlighted a strong offensive performance as the Jets scored runs in four different innings. Strong pitching allowed NU to get a shutout, their first of the season, on only four hits.
 
Sarah Balderas started the scoring with a single to center field in the second inning to score Annie Gentry for a 1-0 edge. NU added another run in the third inning on a Katie Ingles single to center field. Courtney Sartin scored on the RBI single.
 
The Jets poured it on in the fourth inning with four runs. With the bases loaded, Sartin singled through the infield to make it 3-0. A ground out by Ingles increased the lead to 4-0. Two more runs scored on a single by Jensen Cromer. The RBI single plated Taylor Mannis and Sartin also scored after a SNU error for the 6-0 score.
 
In the sixth inning, NU added another run on a fielder's with the bases loaded. Kelsey Jones got the RBI, and Delaney Hiegert scored from third.
 
The pitching combination of Cromer and Ingles shut down the SNU lineup. Cromer got the start in the circle, going the first 3 innings and allowing only one hit. Going the final 4 innings, Ingles allowed three hits and struck out two to combine for a four-hitter.
 
Sartin went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. Ingles was 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Balderas went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored. The Jets totaled 10 hits from seven different players.
 
Southern Nazarene 3, Newman 1
 
Kaitlyn Buck gave NU an early 1-0 with a solo home run in the second game, however, the Jets couldn't plate any more runs to fall 3-1 to SNU.
 
Buck sent one out of the park to left field in the second inning to put the Jets up 1-0.
 
The Crimson Storm knotted the score at 1-1 with their own home run in the fourth inning for a 1-1 score.
 
NU miscues allowed SNU to plate its final two runs. In the fifth inning, a groundball to third base went through the fielder's legs to allow the run to score from second base with two outs in the inning. The third SNU run scored in the seventh inning on an error from the Jet pitcher for a 3-1 score.
 
Jones got the tough loss, allowing only two hits in 4 innings of work in relief. She didn't allow an earned run; however, SNU scored two unearned runs. She finished with six strikeouts. Cromer once again made the start, going 3 innings and allowing one run on the homer and five total hits.
 
The Jet offense totaled three hits. Buck went 1-for-2 with the RBI. Balderas was 1-for-2, and Gentry went 1-for-3.
 
NU returns to Heartland Conference action this weekend at Rogers State. The three-game series starts on Friday (March 13) with a doubleheader at 5 p.m. in Claremore, Okla.