WICHITA, Kan. – The Newman Baseball team played host to the Rogers State Hillcats on Saturday for Paul Sanagorski Day and Sunday for senior day. The Hillcats would take games one and two of the series before the Jets would walk it off in game three to salvage the weekend.
 
Before Saturday's contest, Newman baseball celebrated the legacy of Paul Sanagorski, the founding father of the baseball program. Neither team would get anything going in the opening frame as Newman would jump out the early 2-0 lead after the second inning. The Hillcats would respond the next half inning with three runs of their own to take the lead 3-2. In the top of the 5^th inning, Rogers State would bring six runners across to extend their lead to 9-2. The Jets would respond in the bottom half with two runs of their own as they would now trail 9-4. In the top half of the 6^th, the Hillcats would take those two runs back to push their lead to 11-4. In the next top half, RSU would put up another big run total as they would plate five runs in the inning to extend their lead to 16-4. In the bottom half, Newman would try to keep the game alive. They would need three runs to avoid the run rule, but would come up a run short as they would only plate two in the inning. Rogers State would take the series opener 16-6.
 
Before game two of the series, the Jets would celebrate their 10 student-athletes that are leaving their program after this season. Rogers State would jump on Newman early in this contest as they would put up five runs in each of the first two innings. Newman would score one run in the bottom of the opening inning to trail 10-1 after two complete. Both teams would score at least one run in each of the next four innings as RSU would build their lead up to 18-8 heading into the top of the 7^th inning. In the top half, the Hillcats would plate one run to put the pressure on Newman to keep the game alive. Newman would get a runner on in the inning, but would be unable to bring anyone home as Rogers State would take game two 19-8 to secure a series victory.
 
In the series finale, Rogers State would plate one run in the first inning as the Newman starter Connor Langrell would strikeout 4 Hillcats in the inning. Newman would respond in the bottom half of the opening frame to take their first lead of the series since early in game one. RSU would tie the contest back up in the second inning. They would then take the lead in the third inning pushing four Hillcats across to take a 6-2 lead. The Jets would get one back in the bottom half to make the score 6-3. Rogers State would get a run in the fourth, but the Jets would cut the lead down to two runs, 7-5, as they would push two across in the inning. Both teams would push three runs across in the 6^th inning before Newman would give up a run in the 7^th before cutting more into the Hillcat lead with two runs in the bottom half to cut the lead to just one run. Newman would get Rogers State down in order in the top of the 8^th and would get runners in scoring position in the bottom half, but are unable to drive them in. With the Hillcats leading by a run, Luke Thoreson would follow up his great 7^th inning with a solid 8^th inning allowing just a two out walk to reach base giving the Jets a chance to tie or take the lead in the 9^th.

Tyler Push would reach on a single to start the 9^th inning. Devin Beard would then drive Push in after he would advance all the way to third on passed balls. The Jets would be unsuccessful at driving Beard in as we would head to extra innings. The Hillcats would get their leadoff runner on in the extra frame, who would eventually get thrown out by catcher Nick Caravello on a dirt ball. Thoreson would once again face the minimum in the inning. Daniel Quintanilla would start the bottom half of the extra frame off with a leadoff walk before Zack Hargrove would reach on an infield bunt single. Push would hit into a fielder's choice with all runners being safe to load the bases for Beard. Tyler Kretschmar, pinch running for Quintanilla would score on a passed ball to give Newman the 12-11 walkoff win.
 
The Jets will be back in action on Friday April 30, as they travel to Topeka to take on Washburn with first pitch set for 5:00 pm.