WICHITA, Kan. – On a windy but sunny Tuesday afternoon the Newman softball team hosted Fort Hays State for a midweek nonconference doubleheader, with each team taking a victory.
There was offense from the start for the Tigers (6-12) in Game 1, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning to get out to an early 3-0 lead. The Jets (4-19) would be held scoreless in the bottom of the first and neither team could get on the board in the second inning.
Newman's bats were awoken in the bottom of the third inning by scoring four runs, to go out in front 4-3 heading into the fourth inning.
Mikayla Medbery knocked in the first Jet run by singling through the left side to score
Taylor Mannis. Two at-bats later
Erin Jankiewicz would have a bases clearing double to right field that put the Jets in the lead.
Fort Hays State was held scoreless in the top of the fourth but the Jets would come right back out in the bottom of the fourth to add three runs to their lead, which put the score at 7-3.
Delaney Hiegert knocked in two runs with a shot up the middle, while Medbery sent the ball back up the middle the very next at-bat to score Hiegert and extend the Jet lead.
The Tigers would not go away however, scoring one run in the top of the sixth and then eventually tying the score up at 7-7 in the top of the seventh. Newman could not get a run across in the bottom of the seventh, which meant extra innings were in-store for both teams.
The Jets shut down Fort Hays State in the top of the eighth with the score remaining at 7-7 heading into the bottom of the eighth.
Kendra Mendoza singled down the left field line to get on first for Newman and
Adrienne Esposito would pinch run for her. Two at-bats later Mannis had an infield single to get on, which push the game winning run to second base. Hiegert would deliver the final blow with a walk-off single up the middle to score Esposito from second to win Game 1 8-7.
Runs would be a little harder to come by for the Jets in Game 2 of the doubleheader. The Tigers would strike first in the top of the first inning by scoring two runs to go out in front 2-0. Newman got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second from a
Lacey Colvin single to right center that drove in
Alyssa Taylor from third to put the score at 2-1, heading into the third inning.
The Jets held Fort Hays State scoreless in the third and fourth innings but could not get anything going on the offensive end, stranding three runners combined for the bottom of the third and fourth innings.
The Tigers would go on to win Game 2 of the doubleheader by scoring two runs in the fifth and six in the sixth inning to win 10-1 to close the day out.
Hiegert finished the day going 4-of-7 from the plate with three RBIs, including the game winning RBI single to win Game 1 for the Jets.
Newman heads south to Laredo, Texas to start Heartland Conference play against Texas A&M International, starting with a Friday doubleheader at 3 p.m. and a single game Saturday at noon.
