SAN ANTONIO — With postseason opportunities still available entering the final day of the regular season, the Newman baseball team fell in a heartbreaker in the opener of a Heartland Conference doubleheader Sunday at St. Mary's.
GAME 1
Key Sequence
Roger Wilson was perfect over his final four innings for the Jets (22-28, 14-14 Heartland), but his counterpart for the Rattlers (34-16, 18-10 Heartland) answered with four innings allowing just a walk, holding the Newman offense at bay as the hosts held on for a 4-3 victory to clinch a spot in the Heartland Conference tournament.
How It Happened
-Paul Rupnik started the game by reaching on an error, and eventually came in to score on a single to right by Channing Williams to give the Jets a quick lead. St. Mary's answered in the top bottom of the second to build a lead of its own, as the Rattlers chipped away with four singles to score four runs.
-The Jets got the benefit of two walks to start the top of the third to start a rally, and Jake Hanson doubled in Rupnik to pull within two runs. Williams drew the guests even closer with a sacrifice fly to center to make it 4-3.
-The scoring came to a sudden halt after that though, as a two-out walk in the top of the seventh to Turner Lace was the only baserunner to reach the rest of the way.
GAME 2
Key Sequence
A one-run lead for the Jets held up through the first half of the game, but the Rattlers exploded for 11 runs on seven hits in the bottom of the fifth to break open the game on their way to a 14-2 victory that earned them a share of the conference regular-season title.
How It Happened
-A solo home run by St. Mary's gave it the lead in the bottom of the first, but the Jets bounced back with singles from Williams and Aaron Mack to tie it up in the second. Newman took the lead in the fourth with the help of two errors and a wild pitch.
-The Rattlers got started in the fifth with two walks, and used three extra-base hits to build their healthy lead.
NOTES
-The Jets finished the season with a 14-14 record in Heartland play, the second time in three years and third time in five seasons they put up a .500 or better mark in league play.
-In Game 1, Wilson retired the final 13 batters he faced to close the game.
