CLAREMORE, Okla. — The Newman softball team saw their four game winning streak come to an end Friday evening (Mar. 22) as the Jets suffered a heartbreak doubleheader sweep to Rogers State. The Jets fall to 8-17 on the season and move to 2-12 in conference action, while the Hillcats improve to 23-10 on the year and 10-6 in the Heartland.
GAME 1
Sophomore Bailey Bugner ended the Hillcats perfect game bid with a leadoff single in the sixth inning. Trailing 3-0 with just two innings to go, sophomore Bailey Bugner recorded a leadoff single in the sixth inning spoiling the RSU perfect game bid. Two batters later, Dominque Payne connected on her third round tripper of the season slimming the deficit to one, 3-2. The Hillcats counted in the bottom half of the inning scoring a pair off two defensive Jets errors.
Down to their final three outs, Lacey Colvin sparked some hope into the Jets comeback attempt connecting on her sixth homerun of the season, however the Jets were unable to get the tying run up to the plate falling 5-3.
Chantel Purcella (3-4) took the loss with six hits allowed and two walks allowed, while striking out two.
GAME 2
Rogers State grabbed the early lead with two runs in the bottom of the first. It stayed that way until Bailey Bugner cut the margin with a sacrifice fly scoring Lacey Colvin in the top of the second. Tailee Reding gave the Hillcats the lead back in the bottom half of the inning launching her second homerun in as many innings putting RSU back in-front 3-1.
In the third, the Jets once again knotted the ballgame up on Katherine Stanford's two-RBI single up the middle scoring Lauren Kuhrt and Shanda Cox. After a Paige Wallace single moving Stanford to third, Colvin gave Newman their first lead of the day, 4-3 on an RBI single through the right side. The lead however would last rather shortly as the Jets walked in the tying run.
Trailing 6-4 heading into the sixth, the Jets once again managed to even up the score on a one-out RSU defensive error scoring Kuhrt and Cox on the play.
Knotted up 6-6, heading into the seventh inning the Jets tallied back-to-back one out singles from Bugner and Payne. Lauren Ogden delivered the third straight single in the inning driving home Bugner putting the Jets back in-front for just the second time of the game 7-6. The Hillcats drew a leadoff walk to start the seventh inning. However, after getting one out, Rylee DeLozier plated home the games tying run with a single down the right field line.
After a scoreless eighth inning, the Jets looked to be in business in the ninth with the go-ahead runner at third and second, however an infield fly popup ended the threat. In the bottom half of the ninth the Hillcats recorded back-to-back baserunners to begin the inning, setting up 8-7 walk-off RBI single to complete the sweep of the doubleheader.
Dominque Payne got the start going 2.1-innings allowing four runs on six hits while walking four and striking one out in the no-decision effort.
Bailey Bugner (2-5) took the loss working six innings of relief allowing four runs on eight hits, walking four and striking out four.
The Jets will have a quick turnaround as they look to avoid the series sweep tomorrow afternoon (Mar. 23) at 12:00 p.m.
