WICHITA, Kan. — Having to work for runs in both games of its Heartland Conference-opening doubleheader against No. 10 Lubbock Christian, the Newman baseball team snagged a walk-off win in the opener before taking a tough-luck loss in the finale Friday afternoon at McCarthy Field.
The Jets (13-6, 1-1 Heartland) saw Jordan Doan draw a bases-loaded walk with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning of the first game, securing a 4-3 victory for the hosts over the Chaparrals (14-5, 1-1 Heartland), who are ranked in all three national polls. The second game was a bit tougher on Newman, which had to face one of the top pitchers in the country in the early part of this season, and fell in a narrow 1-0 game.
After taking an early lead in the opener, the Jets watched as LCU climbed back in it to tie things at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the final frame. Aaron Mack got things started with a one-out double, followed by Garett Thomas drawing a four-pitch walk. A wild pitch while facing Brian Canfield opened up first base once again, and Canfield received a free pass to load the bases before Doan got his walk-off RBI on five pitches.
The Jets jumped out to an early lead in the first game, scoring three runs across the first two innings. After the first out of the game, Tyler Bugner, Mack, Thomas and Canfield fired off four straight singles, with Thomas' knocking in Bugner and Canfield's hit to right field almost plating Mack, who was thrown out trying to score from second.
A Doan hit by pitch started the second inning, and after a Nick Griffin single, Jacob Hamerle beat out a sac bunt to first to pick up an RBI single, and Lucas Norton picked up another run-scoring infield single in the next at-bat to make it a 3-0 Newman lead.
The Chaparrals answered in the top of the third with a two-run single with one out, although starter Lucas Schauer got out of that jam on his way to another complete-game victory, his third of the season. The junior went all seven innings, giving up the three runs on seven hits, walking three and striking out four. Four of the seven hits he allowed came in that third inning, allowing just six runners over the other six frames.
LCU tied it with no one out in the fifth, getting an RBI single after a walk and an error, but Schauer snagged a line drive and flipped to first for the double play to get out of the jam. He set the Chaps down in order in the top of the sixth, and breezed past a lead-off walk in the seventh to secure the win.
The second game flew right along, with both starting pitchers going the distance in a tight game. The Chaps picked up a solo home run with two down in the top of the first from Hunter McFall, which was all the guests would wind up needing as starter Guillaume Blanchette tossed nine innings only allowing three hits.
Two of those hits were erased by double plays, including a Bugner single in the first. The lone runner left on base by the Jets came in the second, as Thomas led off with a double down the right field line and moved up to third on Canfield's flyout. He couldn't score from third though, as Doan was called out on a close play at first and Mitchell Beaudreau grounded out to end the threat.
Andrew Russell gave Newman one last chance with a one-out, pinch-hit single in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play, with another close play at first base, ended the game.
After the home run in the first, starter Dylan Porter settled into a groove, allowing just seven hits and no walks over nine innings and striking out six. The senior faced one over the minimum over the final six innings, allowing just two hits over that span, and was perfect over the final three frames.
The Jets and the Chaparrals are back at it in the deciding game Saturday afternoon, with a 1 p.m. first pitch scheduled back at McCarthy Field.
