LUBBOCK, Texas – The Newman baseball team began its weekend Heartland Conference series with a doubleheader at No. 7 Lubbock Christian Friday afternoon, but dropped both games to open up the series.
The Jets (18-23, 5-12 Heartland) were held to two hits in a 6-0 loss in Game 1 against the Chaparrals (31-10, 14-3 Heartland) but both team's pitchers were locked in for Game 2, with Newman coming up short at 2-0 to complete the first day of the weekend series.
Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first inning of Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Nick Griffin opened the top of the second inning with a single through the right side of the infield for the first hit of the contest for Newman. He would get into scoring position the following at-bat by advancing to second base and eventually get to third but could not get home as the top frame in the second came to a close.
Lubbock Christian got on the scoreboard first by scoring two runs in the bottom of the second to jump out to an early 2-0 advantage.
Ked Bailey would get on base by singling to the shortstop in the top of the third with two outs but did not get any further in the inning.
The Chaparrals controlled Game 1 the rest of the way after the third inning, scoring two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and only allowing two Jet runners on base via walks to take Game 1 with a score of 6-0.
Trey Tucker was the starting pitcher for the Jets in Game 2 of the doubleheader, going six full innings and recording three strikeouts. Neither team scored a run in the first inning but
Daniel Jahnke singled to left field with one out in the top of the second. He got into scoring position by advancing to second base the following at-bat and eventually made it to third on an
Easton Herring bunt with two outs but could not get home as the top of the second ended.
The Jets held the Chaparrals scoreless through the first-three innings of Game 2, but LCU would get on the board first by scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth inning, to go up 1-0. Lubbock Christian added another run in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead out to 2-0 over halfway through the contest.
Newman would have runners in scoring position in the last three innings of Game 2, with the best chance to score coming in the top of the ninth with runners at first and second with no outs, but could not get them home as the game would end 2-0, in favor of the Chaparrals.
The Jets finish their three-game conference series with Lubbock Christian with the series finale, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
