ODESSA, Texas — Clutch performances in extra innings helped the Newman baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of former Heartland Conference foe Texas-Permian Basin in nonconference action Friday afternoon.
The Jets (11-14) took similar paths in both games against the Falcons (6-16), going ahead in low-scoring matchups early only to see the hosts rally to tie. In both cases though, Aaron Mack came through with a big plate appearance in the top half of the eighth, and Matt Riney shut down the opposing bats in the bottom half as they picked up wins of 4-2 and 3-2.
In what was a tight game throughout, starting pitcher Joe Cannady held the Falcons at bay for much of the first game. The senior grabbed the win after going seven innings and scattering seven hits, not allowing a walk and striking out four.
Cannady didn't allow a runner past first base until the sixth, and erased two of the runners that did get on with a double play and a pick off.
The Jet offense wasn't pounding out extra-base hits, but did manage to take advantage of the opportunities it got. An error and a single from Channing Williams put the first two batters of the game on base, Brian Canfield bunted them over, and a sacrifice fly from Nick Griffin scored Jacob Hamerle.
In the third, a leadoff walk from Hamerle keyed the offense once again, and three batters later, Griffin knocked him in with a single to left. Holding onto that lead until the bottom of the seventh, UTPB finally answered, using a two-out rally to tie it up and force an extra frame.
There, Newman put together the biggest inning of the game, as Williams singled and Paul Rupnik walked with two outs. Mack followed with a single to right to score Williams, and a Falcon error bumped Rupnik across on the same play.
Riney came in to close it out in the bottom of the frame, sitting UTPB down in order to preserve the win.
The Falcons took an early lead in the second game, but the Jets responded in the top of the third, as Ked Bailey led off with a double, Hamerle reached on an error and Williams walked. Bailey tied it on a wild pitch, and Canfield followed with a single to left to push Newman ahead 2-1.
A lead off double from UTPB eventually tied it back up in the fourth, but starter Collin Loutensock retired eight of the final 10 batters he faced, and Riney entered to blank the Falcons in the seventh to send it to extras once again.
There, a Canfield single and a Griffin double put a pair in scoring position with no outs, and Mack lifted a sac fly to right to push across the winning run for the second time on the day.
Loutensock went six innings, allowing six hits and a lone walk, and struck out four. Riney finished his day allowing no hits, one walk and earning both a win and a save in three innings of high-pressure work.
Williams, Canfield, Griffin and Easton Herring each put up a pair of hits across the doubleheader.
The Jets will stay in Odessa for another day, facing Colorado Mines in a neutral site doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.
