WICHITA, Kan. — Dealing with games that were moved multiple times due to weather, the Newman softball team put together one of its best games of the season to earn a doubleheader split against Lubbock Christian in Heartland Conference action Saturday afternoon at Newman Softball Field.
The Jets (8-27, 2-4 Heartland) scored runs in three straight innings to get back in it and go ahead before sealing a 6-3 win in the opener against the Chaparrals (21-11, 3-3 Heartland). They took the lead again in the nightcap, but LCU rallied late to secure a 5-2 win.
LCU's offense went to work in the first inning of the first game, scoring two runs on four hits, but Newman starter Kate Smith quickly settled into a groove from there. The senior allowed just three hits and two walks the rest of the way to cruise past the top offense in the Heartland Conference.
The Jets were able to halve their deficit in the bottom of the third, as Delaney Hiegert was hit by a pitch to lead off, and Mikayla Medbery followed with a double. An RBI groundout from Erin Jankiewicz made it a 2-1 game.
Newman got right back at it in the fourth, as singles from Taylor Mannis and Adrienne Esposito around a Bayley Horsch walk loaded the bases with one out. With two outs, Medbery beat out an infield single, and forced a bad throw that resulted in an error, allowing a pair of runs to come in and push the hosts ahead 3-2.
The Lady Chaps would tie it up in the fifth, but the Jets bounced back with a big inning in the bottom half of the frame. They put together three hits, including clutch two-out singles by Esposito and Hiegert, to plate three runs and shoot in front once again.
From the fifth inning, Smith retired the final eight batters she faced, including quick work by sitting the Chaps down in order in the last two innings to lock up the win.
The guests again got out to a lead in the first inning of the second game, going up on a two-out RBI single. Once again though, the Jets didn't take long to respond.
In the bottom of the second, Jensen Cromer led off with a single. Mannis followed with a double to plate her, and came around to score herself on a sac fly from Horsch to make it 2-1. LCU's bats started waking up late though, as they tied it in the fifth and put up three in the sixth to build a lead they wouldn't give up.
Medbery, Cromer and Mannis all had a two-hit game and finished with three hits on the day.
Newman hits the road to face Northwest Missouri State in a neutral site doubleheader Tuesday afternoon.
