WICHITA, Kan. — Keeping its newfound explosive offense going, the Newman softball team picked up a run-rule 11-3 victory to complete a three-game series sweep over first-place St. Mary's Saturday afternoon at Newman Softball Field.
KEY SEQUENCE
The Jets (12-34, 6-19 Heartland) built an early lead, but were up just 4-3 heading into the sixth inning against the Rattlers (27-19, 15-7 Heartland). There, the hosts were only called out once before Abby Davis cleared the bases with a double and Erin Jankiewicz and Bailey Bugner each knocked in a pair with doubles of their own to plate seven in the inning and earn an early finish.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-Battling wind chills in the low 20s, the Jets got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first. Delaney Hiegert and Taylor Mannis going things going with singles, with Hiegert scoring on a squeeze play by Emma Eck. Mannis scampered home on Tyesha Morgan's single up the middle to make it 2-0.
-St. Mary's tied it up in the third, getting their first hit of the game to plate the first and drawing even on a wild pitch. Newman didn't take much time to push back in front though, as the Jets loaded the bases with one out, and eventually scored on an error.
-Hiegert added to the lead on a double steal in the fourth, evading the tag at home plate to make it 4-2. The Jets began to sweat a bit when the Rattlers used a walk, an error and a single to pull it to 4-3, and still had two on with no outs, but starter Nique Payne forced three straight infield popups to get out of the jam.
-Payne, who worked around four hits and six walks to allow just one earned run while striking out four, stranded another pair of runners in the top of the sixth to lead into Newman's big inning. Paige Wallace started things off with a pinch-hit single, Bayley Horsch laid down a slick bunt single, and Taylor Mannis walked to load the bases before the onslaught of power.
NOTES
-The sweep means the Jets win the season series against the Rattlers 3-2. It's the second straight season that Newman took the season series against the perennial Heartland contender. It's also the first time St. Mary's has been swept in a weekend series since the 2010 season.
-Newman managed 11 runs on 13 hits — both season highs. Hiegert, Mannis, Morgan and Jankiewicz all notched two hits on the day.
-For the weekend, the Jets recorded 19 runs, 26 hits, five doubles and a triple. This all came against a Rattler pitching staff that entered the series with the best ERA in the league.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Jets head to Fort Hays State for their final nonconference action of the season Wednesday.
