PITTSBURG, Kan. – The Newman softball team led in both games of the doubleheader early at Pittsburg State, but couldn't close out the games, falling 5-2 and 5-3 on Tuesday (April 7) at the Pittsburg State Softball Complex. NU falls to 10-28 on the season and returns to Heartland Conference play this weekend.
PSU 5, NU 2
The Jets built a 2-0 lead after the top of the fifth inning, however, the host Gorillas plated five runs in the fifth to get a 5-2 victory in game one.
Freshman
Breanna Pingry put NU up 1-0 in the third inning on a solo home run, her team-leading fifth of the season, down the left field line. The lead doubled to 2-0 in the fifth inning as
Annie Gentry scored on a wild pitch.
PSU did all of its damage in the fifth inning, scoring five runs. A ground out scored the first run for the 2-1 score. The other four runs were all unearned. A single to left field tied the score at 2-2. The Gorillas then went up, 5-2, with a three-run home run for the 5-2 edge.
Katie Ingles had a strong outing in the circle, totaling six strikeouts and allowing only six hits. She had one earned run with the other four runs unearned.
PSU 5, NU 3
In the nightcap, NU went up 3-0 in the sixth inning, but the Gorillas scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to go on to win, 5-3.
The Jets took a 2-0 edge in the fourth inning, as
Ellise McGowan brought in one run on an RBI ground out and then Pingry scored on a throwing error from first.
A sac fly from
Jensen Cromer in the sixth inning increased the NU advantage to 3-0.
The Gorillas responded with five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. A three-run homer knotted the score at 3-3. A sac fly to left put PSU up, 4-3, and then an infield single allowed another run to come home for the 5-3 score.
Cromer started in the circle in game two, and was superb to start, allowing only three hits through the first 5 innings with four strikeouts. She allowed three hits, including the home run, in the sixth inning. Ingles came in to finish the inning.
The Jets return to Heartland Conference action this weekend at Oklahoma Panhandle State. The three-game series starts on Friday (April 10) with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Goodwell, Okla.
