LUBBOCK, Texas — Lubbock Christian kept the Newman softball team's bats at bay, as the Chaparrals took both ends of a doubleheader to open up a Heartland Conference series Friday afternoon.
GAME 1
Key Sequence
The Jets (5-25, 2-13 Heartland) were looking to get on the board, and had a chance to slice into the lead in the top of the sixth against the Lady Chaps (16-9, 7-6 Heartland). Erin Jankiewicz singled to lead things off, followed later by a two-out single by Delaney Hiegert, but Jankiewicz was cut down at the plate for the third out on Tyesha Morgan's base hit. That kept it a 2-0 lead for the hosts, who tagged on two insurance runs in the bottom half on the way to a 4-0 win.
How It Happened
-A pitcher's duel between Newman's Chantel Purcella and LCU's Monique Francois was broken up only by a pair of solo home runs by Lubbock Christian, one coming in the second and another in the fourth. Two singles following the first homer got Purcella in a bit of a jam, but she got out of it, and went on to retire 12 of the next 13 batters.
-Newman didn't fare any better at the plate, as Abby Davis singled through the right side in the top of the fifth for the Jets' first hit. She moved up to second on a wild pitch, but three straight fly balls ended that threat.
GAME 2
Key Sequence
Newman got things moving a bit quicker in the second game, but the Lady Chap bats came alive at the same time. The Jets were still in it after giving up three first-inning runs, but another three-spot in the bottom of the third helped the hosts, who loaded the bases with no outs and pushed the lead out to 6-1 on the way to an 8-1 victory.
How It Happened
-The Jets were able to reach base, notching two hits in each of the first three innings, but couldn't put up a big number to keep pace with LCU. Emma Eck and Paige Wallace started the top of the second with back-to-back singles, with Eck sliding to third on an error and scoring on an Erin Jankiewicz groundout to make it 3-1.
-The second big inning for the Chaps came in the third, as the first five batters reached base, and a two-run home run in the fourth added to the lead.
NOTES
-Hiegert and Morgan each went 3-for-6 on the day and posted two hits in Game 2. Eck and Davis each notched a pair of hits on the day.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets wrap up the season series against the Lady Chaps with a single game at noon Saturday.
