KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Starting off another week of nonconference play, the Newman softball team fell in a pair of close games on the road at Rockhurst Tuesday afternoon.

The Jets (2-17) got a solid effort out of starting pitcher Kate Smith and the defense in the first game of the day, as the senior scattered nine hits and held on to a shutout through five innings in an eventual 2-1 loss. A big inning for the Hawks (7-7) in the nightcap proved to be the difference in the 5-2 final.

Rockhurst managed just four hits through the first five frames, but got on the board in the sixth thanks to a pair of singles. Newman answered right away, as Jensen Cromer was hit by a pitch and came around to score on Bayley Horsch's single in the top of the seventh, but the hosts managed to put together three singles in the bottom half to walk off with the win.

An early lead in the second game from the Hawks changed quickly, as Hayden Francis led off the second with a hit by pitch. Kendra Mendoza struck out, but reached on a passed ball, and with two runners in scoring position, Horsch knocked them both in with a double to left. Rockhurst tied it in the fourth, and went ahead with three more runs in the fifth.

Cromer and Horsch each had a pair of hits on the day for the Jets, with Horsch batting in all three Newman runs.

The Jets are back at home for a doubleheader against William Jewell Saturday afternoon.