WICHITA, Kan. — Needing a spark after a short rough patch over the past week, the Newman softball team got just that, picking up clutch hits to grab a pair of walk-off victories in a nonconference doubleheader against Fort Hays State Tuesday at the Newman Softball Field.
The Jets (14-28) had two of the six hits for the game in the bottom of the seventh of the opener, as Taylor Mannis' infield single scored Delaney Hiegert to give the team a 2-1 win in the pitcher's duel. Things were just as close in the second game, as two big swings of the bat from Courtney Sartin — first to tie things up in the fifth then to win it in the seventh — made it a 6-5 Newman win.
Katie Ingles wasn't perfect early from the circle in the first game, but the senior stranded all five runners she allowed to reach base in the first two innings, and quickly settled in from there to go on to her sixth win of the season, tossing all seven innings while allowing just a lone run on five hits.
Both offenses were stagnant until Rachael Withers walked to start off the bottom of the fourth. The junior proceeded to steal second then swipe third, putting herself in position to score when Adrienne Esposito struck out but beat out the throw to first to extend the inning on a wild pitch. That lead held until the Tigers (13-26) pushed one across in the top of the seventh to stay alive.
While the teams combined for just nine total hits up to that point, the Jets got just enough in the bottom half of the frame, as Hiegert singled to start things off, and moved up to second on a passed ball. After Bayley Horsch walked with one out, Mannis lifted a ball just beyond the dirt in shallow right field, which got lost in the 30 mph winds and fell harmlessly to the ground, allowing Hiegert to scamper home in the midst of the confusion.
After going scoreless in the first two innings, the two sides seemed to find their bats quicker in the nightcap, as FHSU started the scoring with a run in the top of the third. Mannis walked to lead off the bottom half, stole second, and was bunted over to third by Hiegert, which gave her a short 60 feet to cover on a wild pitch to tie things at 1-1.
The Newman bats exploded in the fourth, as Alyssa Taylor singled to start things off, a bumped up to third on Kendra Mendoza's booming double to the wall in left. Ellise McGowan dropped a single into right to push Taylor across, and Mannis singled to left center to push two more runs in before Hiegert picked up an RBI groundout to make it a comfortable 5-1 lead. The comfort didn't last long into the fifth, as the guests tied things up before bumping one more run across to go ahead 6-5.
It didn't take nearly as long for Sartin to draw things even for the third time in the game, popping the second pitch she saw to start the bottom of the fifth over the wall in center to make it 6-all. Starting pitcher Kate Smith buckled down after the new burst of energy, allowing just a lone infield single in the sixth and sitting the Tigers down in order in the seventh to bring the heart of the order up one more time for the Jets, and Sartin delivered once again for the win.
The homers were Sartin's fourth and fifth of the season. Mannis had a huge day at the top of the lineup, going 5-for-6 with three RBIs and two walks, as well as two stolen bases in two tries.
The Jets are back in action this weekend, facing Heartland Conference-leading St. Mary's in a three-game set Friday and Saturday in Wichita.
