WICHITA, Kan. – After playing on the road yesterday, the Newman softball team came back home to take on Emporia State in a nonconference doubleheader Friday evening to finish out the week and ended up splitting the doubleheader.
 
Neither the Jets (6-24) nor the Hornets (17-13) could get anything going in the first-two innings of Game 1 but Emporia would strike first in the contest by scoring one run in the top of the third inning.
 
Newman answered with two runs of its own in the bottom of the third inning to capture the lead at 2-1 after three complete. Mikayla Medbery singled through the right side to get on base with two outs and then stole second to get into scoring position. The next at-bat Ariole O'Neal doubled down the left field line to bring home Medbery and Jensen Cromer followed that with an RBI single up the middle to bring in O'Neal to make the score 2-1.
 
Things would be quiet for both teams in the fourth inning but the Hornets stole back the lead by scoring six runs in the top of the fifth to go up 7-2. The Jets came back with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut into the Emporia State, which made the score 7-6 heading into the final inning.
 
The Hornets got one run in the top of the seventh to extend their lead out to 8-6, before heading into the bottom of the seventh. Bailey Horsch started the scoring rally with an RBI single through the left side that drove in Lacey Colvin to make it 8-7. The following at-bat Erin Jankiewicz pinched hit and delivered the final blow with a walk off double to left center that scored Alyssa Taylor and Taylor Mannis to win Game 1, 9-8.
 
Game 2 of the doubleheader would not be as high scoring as Game 1, as both pitchers dueled it out in the circle. Both teams held each other scoreless in the first-two innings but the Hornets broke through in the top of third by scoring three runs.
 
Emporia State added another run to its lead in the top of the fourth to make 4-0 halfway through Game 2. Rachael Withers singled to start off the bottom of the sixth inning, which was followed by Hayden Francis getting hit by a pitch to get on base and two at-bats later Delaney Hiegert singled to load the bases with one out. However, the Hornets ended up holding the Jets scoreless in the bottom of the sixth and went on to win Game 2, 4-0 to complete the nonconference doubleheader.
 
Cromer went 4-of-7 from the plate with three RBIs and one home run. She also earned the victory in the circle for Game 1.
 
Newman is back in action at home in another nonconference doubleheader, Wednesday afternoon against Southern Nazarene.