Softball Sweeps Aggies to Open Series
GOODWELL, Okla. - A series-opening sweep of Oklahoma Panhandle State allowed the Newman softball team to punch its ticket to the 2011 Heartland Conference Championship tournament. The Jets rallied for a 10-8 win in the opener, before blasting the Aggies for a 14-1 win in Saturday's second game.
Game 1: Newman 10, Oklahoma Panhandle State 8
Newman (8-26, 4-9 Heartland) made its first statement in its first at-bat. Emily Zimmerman opened the game with a single through the left side, then moved to second on a throwing error on the OPSU third baseman in an attempt to throw her out on Steph Harshberger's fielder's choice. A Sarah Fipps walk loaded the bases for
Tracey Stefanski, who promptly cleared the bases with a grand slam that snuck over the center field fence at OPSU Softball Field. After the opening inning, Newman held a 4-0 lead.
Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-40, 1-12 Heartland) answered with a run in the second inning, followed by four runs in the third and two more in the fourth to take an 7-4 lead into the fifth inning.
But Newman was ready to respond. Fipps opened the fifth with a single to center field before he was replaced by pinch runner
Anna Scheuffele. Scheuffele moved to second on a fielding error on Erin Monday's fielder's choice.
Lauren Rorebeck then cashed both runners in with a home run over the left field fence to tie the game at 7-7 with two innings to play.
The Jets repeated that effort in the sixth. This time, Zimmerman's hit bounced over the center field fence, putting her on second with a ground rule double. Zimmerman moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Steph Harshberger. Fipps sent Zimmerman home with a sacrifice fly to center that gave Newman a one-run lead. After Monday singled up the middle, Rorebeck stepped into the batter's box yet again and sent another, longer home run over the left field fence to give Newman a 10-7 lead with just one inning to play.
The Aggies scored one run in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn't enough to produce a rally as Newman took the opener, 10-8.
Zimmerman finished the game with a team-best 4-for-5 outing at the plate, adding two runs along the way. Rorebeck finished with just two hits in four at-bats, but she used those hits to net five RBI and two runs in the win. Newman starter Sarah Fipps pitched the entire game giving up eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two walks and two strike-outs in seven innings of work.
Game 2: Newman 14, Oklahoma Panhandle State 1
After holding Newman (9-26 4-9 Heartland) scoreless in two at-bats, Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-41, 1-13 Heartland) scored the first run of the game, and took a 1-0 lead after two innings.
The Jets countered that effort in the third when Erin Monday sent a home run over the center field wall to score herself and Sarah Fipps, who reached on a single. After three innings, the Jets held a 2-1 lead.
Newman was in complete control from that point forward.
Tracey Stefanski struck out swinning to open the fourth, but reached first on a wild pitch. A Brianna Hallacy bunt single moved Stefanski to second, before both advanced one base on yet another wild pitch. Katie Trafface put herself on base when the OPSU right fielder dropped her pop-up, which allowed Stefanski to score and pushed Hallacy to third. Hallacy went on to score, alonog with Traffas, on an Emily Zimmerman single through the left side. After four innings, the Jets had pushed their lead to 5-1.
Newman added another run in the fifth when Monday doubled to left, then scored on a wild pitch. The Jets then added a pair of runs in the sixth when Monday homered to to left, scoring herself and Steph Harshberger, who reached on a walk. With one inning to play, Newman led 8-1.
As if that weren't enough, the Jets showed no mercy on the Aggies in their final at bat. Newman sent 10 batters to the plate, and came away with six runs, four of which came on on a Fipps grand slam, as they cruised to the 14-1 win.
Hallacy finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored. Monday finished 3-for-4 in her time at bat, notching three runs and four RBI, while Zimmerman went 3-for-5 with a run and three RBI in the win. Newman starter Stephanie Smolsky pitched the entire game, giving up just one earned run on seven hits in seven innings of work to pick up the win.
After the sweep, the Jets improve to 9-26 overall, and 5-9 in the Heartland Conference. Today's wins, coupled with Texas-Permian Basin's loss, move the Jets into fourth place in the conference, securing a trip to the Heartland Conference Championship tournament.
The Jets will return to action Sunday with another doubleheader starting at noon at the OPSU Softball Field in Goodwell.
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