LUBBOCK, Texas - The Newman Jets softball team opened up their 2020 campaign in Texas as they took part in a tournament put on by former Heartland Conference opponent Lubbock Christian. The Jets would go 0-5 on the weekend, losing one 1 run ball game and one 2 run ball game.

The Jets would start the weekend taking on another former Heartland Conference opponent in St. Edwards. The Hilltoppers would strike first, in the top of the third inning they would drive in 2 runs to take a 2-0 lead. Newman would respond in the bottom of the fourth when Lacey Colvin would drive in Lauren Kuhrt for the Jets first run of the game to cut the SEU lead to 2-1. St. Edwards would strike for 2 in the top of the fifth and 6 in the top of the sixth while holding Newman scoreless in both innings to enforce a run rule and win the game 10-1 in six innings.

Newman would turn around and play New Mexico Highlands the same day. The Jets would strike in the top of the first on an RBI single from Lauryn Ogden that would score Sierra Spurlock and Lacey Colvin would score on an error by the Cowgirl second baseman after a Sydney Kuhrt lineout. N.M. Highlands would answer back with 1 run in the bottom half of the first and 1 run in the bottom of the second to tie the game 2-2 heading into the third inning. The Jets would score 3 runs in the third on a Spurlock RBI double, an Ogden sac-fly and Emma Eck would drive in S. Kuhrt for the final run of the inning. The Cowgirls would score 1 run for the third straight inning to respond to the 3 run inning the Jets had. Newman would come up in the top of the fourth and plate 7 runs in the inning and 1 run in the fifth to take a 13-3 lead. N.M. Highlands would respond by scoring 1 run in the bottom of the fourth and then back to back 7 run innings in the fifth and sixth to take a 18-13 lead into the top of the seventh where they would hold the Jets scoreless. Lauryn Ogden would go 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's for the Jets and Lauren Kuhrt would go 2 for 4 with a walk and 3 RBI's. 

On Saturday, the Jets would only play one game, it would come against the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm. The Jets would get on the board first scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from Colvin that scored L. Kuhrt, an RBI single from Eck that would score Spurlock and a Shanda Cox single that would score Colvin. The Crimson Storm would respond by scoring 8 runs in the top of the second to take an 8-3 lead. The Jets would get 1 run back in the bottom of the second on another RBI single from Colvin that would drive in L. Kuhrt. In the bottom of the fourth, L. Kuhrt would be driven in by a teammate for the third time in the game when Emma Eck hit a single to left field to cut into the SNU lead making the score 8-5. Southern Nazarene would get one run back in the sixth before Newman would strike for 3 runs on a 3-run homerun from Bailey Bugner. Newman would get a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh with a chance to tie the game with two outs, but the Crimson Storm would be able to keep Newman from plating the tying run and would hold on for a 9-8 victory. Lauren Kuhrt would go 4 for 5 scoring 3 runs, Lacey Colvin would go 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's, Emma Eck would go 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's, Bailey Bugner would go 2 for 4 with 3 RBi's and Shanda Cox would go 2 for 4 with an RBI. Bugner would get the start in the circle for the Jets and would throw a complete game. Giving up 9 runs on 11 hits with 1 walk and 2 strikeouts.

The first game on Sunday would come against the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs. UCCS would strike for 1 run in the top of the first and Newman would answer with a 4 spot of their own in the bottom half. Colvin would drive in L. Kuhrt before Eck would hit a three run homerun. UCCS would get 2 runs in the top of the second on a two-run homerun and Newman would respond again with their own 2 run inning. Colvin would once again drive in L. Kuhrt and Ogden would drive in Shanda Cox for the second run to give the Jets a 6-3 lead. The Mountain Lions would hit 4 homeruns in the 5 remaining innings on their way to an 11-6 victory over the Jets. Lacey Colvin would go 3 for 3 with an RBI and Katherin Stanford would go 2 for 4.

In the Jets final game of the weekend, they would face off with another former Heartland Conference opponent in Texas Permian Basin. UTPB would get the scoring started in the bottom of the third when they would score 1 run. The Falcons would get another run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-0. The Jets would tie it up in the fifth on a L. Kuhrt sac fly that would score Spurlock and a Cox single that would score Paige Wallace. The Falcons would answer back in the bottom of the fifth with 2 runs to take the lead back 4-2. Neither team would score the rest of the game as the Falcons would defeat the Jets 4-2. Sierra Spurlock would go 1 for 2 with a walk. Bugner would throw another complete game for the Jets going 6 innings giving up 4 runs on 6 hits with no walks and 2 strikeouts.

The Jets will be back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 12 as they travel to Alva, Okla. to take on the Rangers of Northwestern Oklahoma State for a double header at 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.