Wichita, Kan. – On Friday afternoon, the Jets would host Wayne State for games one and two of the weekend series. Newman would fall in game one in a 14-10 slugfest, but comeback and win game 2 10-6.
In the first game, Wayne State would start the scoring off with a two run homerun to straight away centerfield to give the Wildcats an early 2-0 lead. Wayne State would extend their lead with another homerun but this one went to left centerfield giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Newman would respond with a
Hayden VanDePol single to leftfield, cutting the Jets deficit to 3-1. In the top of the third, after three straight singles, Wayne State would cash in with a grand slam to left field and later get an RBI single to extend their lead to 8-1. In the bottom half of the third inning, the Jets would be able to get a run off of a throwing error by the shortstop to make the Wayne State lead 8-2. Wayne State would get back a run in the top of the fourth with a Sacrifice fly to centerfield that made the score 9-2. Newman would once again cut into the lead thanks to a throwing error by the catcher cutting the deficit to six, 9-3, at the end of the fourth inning.
The score would remain the same until the bottom of the seventh, when Newman would cut the deficit once again with a RBI groundout by Dinkel to make the score 9-4. Things would get exciting starting in the bottom of the eighth when the Jets would bat through the order and put up six runs to gain their first lead of the game, 10-9. In the top of the ninth, Wayne State would respond with a five run half inning including back-to-back homeruns to begin the half inning to make the score 14-10. Newman had one more chance in the bottom of the ninth but the Jets would have a strikeout, walk, and double play to end the game as Wayne State would defeat the Jets 14-10 in game one.
The Jets would have four players with a multi-hit game,
Mitchell Austin went 3 for 5 with an RBI,
Devin Beard went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI,
Kyle Koch went 2 for 5, and Vandepol went 2 for 4 with a walk and an RBI.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Wayne State would again strike first scoring two runs in the top of the first to gain an early lead. Newman would respond with two runs of their own on a Vandepol RBI single and a
Mitchell Austin RBI double to make the score 2-2. Newman would get back on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with another Vandepol RBI single and a
Will Jordan sacrifice fly to take a 4-2 lead. Wayne State would cut into the Jets lead with a RBI double in the top of the fourth inning, still trailing the Jets 4-3. Newman would respond scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth after an error by the second basemen giving the Jets a 6-3 lead.
Wayne State would answer back as they would score three runs in the top of the fifth inning with a solo homerun and a two RBI double to left center. With the score 6-6,
Will Jordan came up to the plate and crushed a massive three run homerun to left field that put the Jets back on top 9-6. Newman would add one more run in the bottom of the sixth after a wild pitch. The Jets would be able to hold the Wildcats in check in the top of the seventh taking game 2 10-6.
Newman had two players reach base in every at bat and also account for 6 of their 10 hits.
Hayden VanDePol would go 3 for 3 with a walk and 2 RBI's while scoring 3 runs.
Mitchell Austin would also go 3 for 3 with a walk and an RBI.
Newman will be back in action on Saturday, February 22nd as they host Wayne State for the series finale starting at 1:00 P.M.
