Joplin, Mo. -The Jets traveled to Missouri to face the Missouri Southern Lions for their last doubleheader of the season. Softball was looking to increase their tally of total wins to leave the bar high for future Jets teams. The Jets were coming to this matchup having broken the record for total wins in a season which was previously eighteen. The first game ended shorty due to a very hard to stop Lions offense that scored multiple runs in the first four innings. The last game of the season was another Newman Softball comeback special. being down three runs in the top of the fourth and coming back to win the game in seven innings.
Newman was coming back after two tough games against the number nine ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas on Wednesday afternoon. Despite not showing it on the scoreboard, the Jets competed against the Gorillas and showed they can compete even against a top ten team in the country.
Game 1:
The first game started with the Lions scoring two runs off of a single and a line out. Newman wasn't able to respond in the following half inning and saw how Missouri Southern scored another run in the bottom of the second to make the difference go up to three runs.
A home run from a Lions player in the bottom of the third made things even more complicated for the Jets, scoring three runs to increase the lead to seven runs. Following the home run, the Lions scored four more runs to make it very hard for the Jets to hope for a comeback.
Despite all the adversities, Newman kept trying to get on the scoreboard accumulating a total of four hits and seven runners left on base.
Kayla Lopez had two of the four Jets hits and gave everything she had to try to get a run in for the Jets.
The game ended after the top of the fifth inning.
Game 2:
The last game of the season, and the last collegiate game for the Seniors, was a Newman Softball trade mark.
The Jets started the game down three runs to nothing after the Lions scored a run in the first three innings.
Not giving up, the Jets answered with two runs off of a home run to left field from
Malie Noda, her first of the season. The right field Freshman has been outstanding all season and her first home run could have not come at a best time for the Jets.
Aided by Noda's homer, the Jets took advantage of their momentum and scored another couple of runs in the top of the fifth after a single from
Madi Canez to right field that scored Senior
Anissa Ramos and
Lauren McNaught, to take the lead from the Lions for the first time in the series.
After five great innings from
Paola Zamacona where she only allowed the Lions to score three runs and she kept the Jets in the game, Senior
Jackie Gold came in as a reliever to ry to maintain the lead until the end of the game.
Gold held the Lions down to zero runs in the fifth and sixth and did her part to help the Jets keep the lead.
Hayley Bonython led the Jets offense, as she has done most part of the season, with a single to right field that scored another two runs to keep the Lions three runs behind going into the last half inning.
With the Lions bringing their full offense against her, Gold was able to hold them down to only two runs, earning the save and helping the Jets her their twenty first win of the season.
Softball ends their season having broken the record of total wins in a season by three.
