LAREDO, Texas — After severe weather pushed its Heartland Conference opener back by a day, the Newman softball team snagged a win in the first game on its way to a doubleheader split Saturday afternoon against Texas A&M International.
The Jets (5-20, 1-1 Heartland) got a solid pitching performance from Jensen Cromer and multiple hits from three batters to earn a 5-2 victory in the first game of the day against the Dustdevils (6-12, 1-1 Heartland). In the second game, Newman still managed nine hits, but could only score twice in a 5-2 defeat.
A Taylor Mannis single opened the day, and the Jets cracked five hits in the top of the first, including RBI singles out of Lacey Colvin and Rachael Withers to build a 3-0 lead. Bayley Horsch doubled in Withers in the fourth to add to the lead, and TAMIU sliced it in half with two in the bottom of the frame.
Mikayla Medbery's single followed by a double to right from Cromer added another insurance run in the fifth. Cromer, who allowed just two hits in the first three innings, had to work a little harder to get out of jams in the fourth and fifth, but responded by sitting down six of the final seven batters she faced to earn the win.
In the nightcap, the Dustdevils were the ones to get on the board early, cashing in with a two-run home run in the first. Newman answered in the third though, as Horsch and Delaney Hiegert singled, followed by Medbery lacing a triple to the fence in right to tie it up.
TAMIU retook the lead in the bottom of the third though, plating two runs and adding another in the fourth to build a lead. The Jets got runners on in each of the final four innings, but couldn't get them home as the hosts held on for the win.
Hiegert chipped in with four hits on the day, led by a 3-for-4 performance in the second game, while Withers was 2-for-3 in each game. Cromer scattered five hits and struck out three in the complete-game victory in the opener.
Newman and TAMIU will play the final game of the delayed series Sunday morning, with first pitch at 10:30 a.m.
