WICHITA, Kan. – Newman and Wayne State were finally able to get a couple of games in against each other after having the contest moved multiple times. On a windy day in Wichita, the Wildcats would take game one 22-10, before the Jets would take game two 15-2. Both teams would combine to hit twelve homeruns in the two games.
Newman would strike first in game one, as
Devin Beard would hit a sacrifice fly that would score
Tyler Push. Wayne State would respond in the top half of the second inning by scoring 8 runs. Trailing 8-1, Newman would tie the game up in the bottom of the third. Push would start the big inning with a solo shot to center field.
Enzo Bonventre would pick up two RBI's with a double to right center to cut the score to 8-4.
Will Jordan would also hit a double, scoring Bonventre.
Jake Angelico would then hit a triple to right center scoring Jordan. Hargrove would follow up Angelico's triple with one of his own to make the score 8-7. Push would then pick up his second hit and RBI of the inning when he would single to right field scoring Hargrove, tying the game up 8-8.
Wayne State would score three runs in each of the next two innings to extend their lead back to 6 runs, 14-8. Newman would get one back in the sixth when
Nick Caravello would single through the right side scoring Beard. The Wildcats would score four runs in the seventh. The Jets would score one on a single from
Hayden VanDePol. Wayne State would plate four more in the eighth to push their lead to 22-10, the eventual final as they would hold Newman in the bottom half.
Push would go 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored. VanDePol, Bonventre and Hargrove would go 2 for 4 with an RBI. Angelico would go 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The Jets would strike first again in game two when
Mitchell Austin would hit a three run homerun in the bottom of the first inning. The Wildcats would respond with two of their own in the top of second inning. Newman would score six runs in the bottom of the third inning all of homeruns.
Jon Coufal and
Hayden VanDePol would both hit solo homeruns. Austin would hit his second homerun of the night, this time it would be a grand slam pushing Newman's lead to 9-2.
Jake Angelico would hit a homerun of his own in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 10-2. In the same inning, Austin would keep his hot streak alive as he would hit an RBI double down the left field line. Coufal would follow that up with a two RBI single to put the Jets up 13-2.
Max Bajza would extend Newman's lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single. VanDePol would drive in final Newman run with an RBI ground out to bring in Bajza. The Jets would run away in the middle innings for a 15-2 victory to split the double header.
Beard would go 2 for 3 with 3 runs scored. Bonventre would go 1 for 2 with 3 runs scored. Austin would have the big game for the Jets going 3 for 3 with 4 runs scored, 8 RBI's and 2 HR's.
Newman will be back in action on Thursday, March 11
th as they get back to MIAA play when they travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to take on the Northeastern State Riverhawks in a doubleheader with first pitch set for 11:00 am.