WICHITA, Kan. – On an extremely windy Friday afternoon at McCarthy Field, the Newman baseball team outlasted Oklahoma Christian, 18-17 to close out the three-game Heartland Conference series.
 
The Eagles (23-18, 10-8 Heartland) opened up the finale with a run in the top of the first inning, but the Jets (17-21, 5-10 Heartland) answered back with two quick runs in the bottom frame of the first, to take a 2-1 lead.
 
All would be quiet in the second inning for both teams but that didn't last long as OC put two runs on the board in the top of the third and Newman came right back with three of its own in the bottom of the third. Nick Griffin doubled down the left field line that scored two runs and Channing Williams capped off the scoring in the bottom of the third with a RBI single to right center to make it 5-3, after three complete innings.
 
The Eagles added another one run in the fourth, but the Jets extended their lead out to 8-4 by scoring three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Brian Canfield had the first RBI in the bottom of the fourth and then Aaron Mack blasted a home run to right center the following at-bat to complete the scoring in the fourth for Newman.
 
OC had a big top of the fifth, scoring six runs to steal back the lead at 10-8, heading into the bottom of the fifth. The Jets did not let that bother them, coming back out in the bottom of the fifth to score five runs and take back the lead at 13-10. Ked Bailey led the way in the bottom of the fifth with two RBIs, while Jacob Hamerle, Canfield and Griffin each contributed a RBI.
 
The Eagles added a run in the top of the sixth to cut into the Jet lead at 13-11 but would be held scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings. Newman added a single run in the bottom of the seventh and four runs in the bottom of the eighth, to take an 18-11 lead into the final inning.
 
OC would not go away quietly though in the top of the ninth inning. After already scoring six runs and having a runner in scoring position with two outs, a nice play from Hamerle the second baseman would end the game as he tracked down a high pop fly as the wind was howling to secure the high-scoring affair at 18-17 in favor of Newman.
 
The Jets finished the game with 20 hits as a team, this is the most hits in a conference game since April 9, 2011 against Oklahoma Panhandle State when they recorded 22. Newman also tallied 18 runs today, which is one run shy of the Division II school record of 19 runs, which came against Northeastern State back on April 28, 2012.
 
Mack finished the day going 5-of-6 from the plate, with four RBIs, four runs scored, three doubles, one triple and one home run. He was a single away from hitting for the cycle.
 
The Jets are back at home this coming Wednesday in a midweek nonconference game against William Jewell, starting at 3 p.m.