WICHITA, Kans. – Newman had everything go its way as the Jets took a pair of games from The University of Texas of the Permian Basin softball team. They pounded out 24 hits, 12 in each game, including a walk-off, two-run blast by Katie Traffas in the opener. Newman took the first game 9-7 before winning the second 11-3 in five innings.
In the first game, the Falcons held a 4-2 lead through the first six innings before Newman rattled off four runs in the bottom of the sixth. UTPB opened the scoring in the first when
Alisha Carrasco and
Tomie Ellard reached on back-to-back singles. Carrasco stole second before advancing to third on Ellard's single through the left side. She would eventually come around to score when
Angel Castro drove her home on a sacrifice bunt to the right side.
Castro had a career day at the plate in the opener, going 4-for-4 with three doubles, two runs scored, two runs batted in and a stolen base. Ellard was nearly as good as she went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Chelsey Morgan had the Falcons' only other hit in the game.
UTPB would make it 3-0 after three innings with two more runs in the third thanks to two errors by the Jets.
Newman answered with a lone run in the third and another in the fourth before Castro drove in Morgan with a sacrifice fly to left field. Morgan led off the inning with a single up the middle before Carrasco moved her to third with a double to left. Ellard loaded the bases after she was hit by a pitch before Castro drove in the Falcons' fourth run of the game.
Lauren Rorebeck hit a one-out homer to left center to make it 4-3 before doubles by Briana Hallacy and Stephanie Harshberger drove in three more runs to give the Jets a 6-4 edge going into the top of the seventh inning.
Carrasco came through once again as she raked a one-out double to left center to score
Tieifa Dueberry and Morgan. Ellard would later ground out to second base, but was deep enough to allow Carrasco to score giving the Falcons a 7-6 lead.
Erin Monday led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle before moving to second on a groundout. Rorebeck singled through the left side to put runners on first and third before Brianna Hallacy reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Monday to tie the game at seven. With two outs in the frame, Traffas hit her first homer of the season, giving Newman its third win of the season and its first Heartland Conference victory this year.
In the second game, Newman busted out for seven runs in the first inning – all coming with one out before scoring three more in the second and one in the third. The deficit was too much as the Falcons managed to put up one run in the first, second and fourth innings. Carrasco picked up two more hits in the game while
Erica Rangel went 2-for-2.
The two teams will play a double header tomorrow starting at noon in Wichita.
