WICHITA, Kan. — On a frigid day that felt more like early February than late March, the Newman softball team split a doubleheader against Texas A&M International to open up the teams' Heartland Conference series Friday evening.
The Jets (9-20, 2-6 Heartland) had a number of chances, but finally cashed in with a Missy Swanson sacrifice fly to plate Courtney Sartin in the bottom of the 11th to snag an 8-7 victory in the second game. The Dustdevils (17-21, 6-5 Heartland) pushed across a pair of runs late to steal a 3-2 victory over the hosts in the opener.
After Newman saw its leadoff runner reach base in each of the final five innings of the nightcap, it was able to take advantage in the 11th. Sartin started off the inning by working a walk, and Alyssa Taylor moved her up to second with a sac bunt. Trying to give the Jets a free pass — Sartin was intentionally walked in both the seventh and the ninth — the second pitch to Delaney Hiegert from the Dustdevils skipped to the backstop, allowing Sartin to move up to third.
Hiegert finished out her free pass and moved to second with no challenge before Swanson lifted the fourth pitch she saw to left center, plenty deep enough to score Sartin for the victory.
TAMIU started out hot as the second game got underway, scoring runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 5-0 advantage. Newman managed to break the shutout with a run in the bottom of the third, as Katie Ingles picked up a single to start the inning and moved up to third on Mikayla Medbery's single before scoring on a groundout by Rachael Withers.
Newman got back on the board in a big way in the fifth, plating six runs to jump out in front. Swanson started the frame off with an infield single, and pinch runner Adrienne Esposito scored on Ellise McGowan's single. Taylor Mannis reached on an error, allowing two more runs to score, and Sartin pushed two more across to give the Jets the lead.
A double steal allowed Sartin to scamper home and stretch the lead to 7-5, but the Dustdevils scored single runs in the sixth and the seventh to draw even and force extras before the Jets' 11th-inning rally.
TAMIU started the day off with a long first inning, but were only able to get one run out of it, leaving the bases loaded. It took the Jets a couple of frames to answer, but they were able to in the third, when Medbery reached on an error to start the inning and stole second. Withers bunted her over to third, and a squeeze play with Mannis at the plate was successful to tie things up at 1-1.
Medbery was the catalyst again in the bottom of the fifth to give Newman its first lead of the day, singling through the right side and swiping second once again. She bumped up to third on a groundout from Mannis, and scored on Sartin's single up the middle to make it 2-1 before the Dustdevils managed to score a pair in the top of the sixth to take control once again.
The Jets reached base in both the sixth and seventh, but couldn't scrape across the tying run.
Hiegert led the Jets at the plate, going 4-for-8 on the day. Medbery and Withers each added three hits, while Sartin and Mannis each had a pair of RBIs. Ingles went the distance in the circle in the final game, firing all 11 innings and giving up eight hits and four earned runs.
Newman and TAMIU meet for the final game of the series Saturday at noon.
