CLAREMORE, Okla. – The Rogers State softball team could not make an early lead hold falling to visiting Newman, 5-3, in Heartland Conference action Saturday night at the Diamond Sports Complex.
 
The Hillcats took a 2-1 advantage in the third inning but the Jets answered scoring the next four runs, escaping with their first conference win of the season recording a season-high 12 hits.
 
RSU starter Aubrey Voboril ran into trouble from the start but escaped a bases-loaded jam after the Jets posted back-to-back singles with one out. Voboril got the Hillcats into the dugout forcing a pop out to end the threat.
 
Jamie Kowalick led the bottom of the first with a walk and Carley Conley added a one-out single. Both runners moved into scoring position on a double steal but RSU could not capitalize.
 
Newman struck for the first run of the game in the top of the second registering four-straight singles as Taylor Mannis drove Kaitlyn Padilla home breaking the deadlock leading 1-0.
 
The Hillcats quickly answered the one run, evening the score in the second taking advantage of a Jet miscue. Malori Moss reached on an error to start the frame and Makenzie Kirk followed with a single. Bailey Spencer moved the runners into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt and Kowalick tied the game, 1-1, behind an RBI single.
 
RSU took its first lead of the evening in the third, 2-1, when Conley reached on a bunt single opening the inning. The senior later slid safely into home plate on Moss' two-out single to left.
 
An error by the Hillcats starting the fourth led to the tying run for Newman and it reclaimed the lead on Courtney Sartin's solo home run in a three-run fifth as the Jets got a two-run single building a 5-2 advantage.
 
Simpson started a two-out rally in the seventh doubling off the wall in left-center coming around to score on Conley's double, her third hit of the night getting RSU within two. Katlin Alexander stepped to the plate as the potential tying run but her grounder to second ended the game as Newman escaped winning 5-3.
 
Bailee Kaderka (4-5) took the loss in relief for the Hillcats throwing 3.2 innings allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits. Jensen Cromer (2-6) pitched the win for the Jets giving up one run over the final four innings as a reliever.
 
RSU (5-10, 3-3 HC) and Newman close the weekend series Sunday with a doubleheader slated to begin at noon at the Diamond Sports Complex. Catch the action live on the Hillcat Network with live audio, video, and stats at www.rsuhillcats.com/live.