WICHITA, Kan. – The Newman softball team finally played its home opener Thursday afternoon, that was originally scheduled for this upcoming Saturday against Southwest Baptist but dropped both games of the doubleheader, 4-3 in Game 1 and 1-0 for Game 2.
Jensen Cromer got the nod as the starting pitcher for the Jets in Game 1 and held the Bearcats scoreless in the top of the first inning. Newman would get on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first from an
Erin Jankiewicz RBI groundout that scored
Taylor Mannis from third.
Neither team would get a runner home in the second inning but Southwest Baptist would even up the score at 1-1 in the top of the third inning. The Bearcats would then grab the lead in the fourth inning and get it out to 3-1.
Newman would rally in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score at 3-3. Rachel Withers got a ball to lay down between the third baseman and the pitcher, which scored
Delaney Hiegert from third to make the score 3-2.
Kendra Mendoza would drive in the final score of the sixth off an RBI groundout that plated
Kenley LePage to knot up the score at 3-3.
Both the Jets and Bearcats could not manage to get anyone home in the seventh inning, which forced extra innings in Game 1. Southwest Baptist scored in the top of the eighth to go up 4-3, which would eventually be the final score after one extra inning.
Game 2 would be a pitching dual between
Kate Smith and the Bearcat pitcher, only allowing 10 hits between the two with both pitchers going all seven innings.
Mannis led off with double to right center to begin the bottom of the first inning for the Jets but was left stranded at third to end the inning.
Smith would hold the Bearcats scoreless throughout the first five innings of the contest, while the Jet offense had runners at first and second with one out in bottom of the fifth but could not get them home to get the first run across in the game.
Southwest Baptist would squeak a run across the plate in the top of seventh inning to go out in front 1-0, heading into the final frame of the game. The Jet batters did not get on base in the bottom of the seventh and lost 1-0 in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
Newman heads to Kansas City, Missouri on Tuesday to take on Rockhurst University in a nonconference doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
