WICHITA, Kan. – The Newman baseball team dropped a pair of non-conference games to Emporia State Tuesday (Mar. 26) at McCarthy Field. The Jets were one run short in the opener, falling 5-4 before their bats went silent in a 15-2 loss in the nightcap. The Jets now 12-13 on the season fall below .500 for the first time since opening weekend, while the Hornets improve to 17-9.
GAME 1
The Jets had chances early and often in game one, with runners reaching base in all innings. The Hornets pushed across the first run of the contest in the opening inning on a two-run shot by Aaron Dees taking a 2-0 lead.
The Jets trimmed their deficit to 2-1 when they got a run back in the home half of the second. Freshman, Jace Piepkorn plated Conner Langrell with an RBI single to left field.
Emporia State got the run back in the following inning with a two-out RBI single extending their lead, 3-1.
Starting pitcher Zack Erdman pitched a scoreless fourth keeping the margin at one. In the fourth, Spencer Lloyd lined a one-out rope to left center which appeared to be a solo-homerun, however the field umpire saw different ruling the hit a double. The Jets advanced Lloyd over to third-base before stranding Lloyd at third to end the inning.
After the Hornets managed to cross another run in the fifth, sophomore Chris Opolka led the inning off with a single to center. The very next batter, Kyle Koch cut the deficit to one, 4-3 sending his first homerun of the season over the left center field fences scoring Opolka on the play.
Two costly defensive errors in the sixth helped the Hornets add an insurance run, 5-3.
After the Hornets tacked an insurance run in the top of the sixth, 5-3, the home half of the inning began with a one-out Piepkorn single. On the very next at-bat, Turner Lace was plunked by a pitch putting Jets runners and first and second with one-out. Two batters later, Opolka continued his strong day at the dish driving home Piepkorn on an RBI single to center field putting the Jets back within a run, 5-4. The Jets however would leave them loaded to end the sixth after Koch drew a two-out walk. to load the bases.
Needing a seventh inning rally, the Jets would strand Tyler Push the tying run at third and winning run Piepkorn at first to end the comeback attempt.
Chris Opolka and Jace Piepkorn both drove in a run and recorded two hit performances in the defeat.
Erdman (3-2) completed 4.0 innings before being removed, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out two in the losing effort.
GAME 2
While Newman collected just five hits in the second game, Emporia State turned up 13 runs on just eight hits in the nightcap.
Emporia State settled things early for the second game in a row plating seven runs in the home half of the first.
After being held scoreless over five innings, Spencer Lloyd put the Jets on the board in the home half of the sixth with an RBI double to center field scoring Kyle Koch. A batter later, Conner Langrell drove in Mitchell Austin on an RBI fielder's choice, making the score 10-2.
The Hornets would tack on three more runs in the seventh putting the game away 13-2.
Mitchell Austin finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Spencer Lloyd concluded game two with a 2-for-3 performance and RBI.
Blake Thunberg (1-4) took the loss after surrendering seven runs (three earned) on five hits over 0.2-innings.
The Jets will look to end a three game skid as they return back to conference action on Friday (Mar. 29) against Lubbock Christian. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. inside Hays Field and City Bank Clubhouse in Lubbock, Texas.
