CLAREMORE, Okla. – Newman scored five runs in the second inning to down the Rogers State softball team, 8-4, on Friday (April 14) in the series finale of the three-game league set at the Diamond Sports Complex. With the victory, the Jets took the series, 2-1.
 
NU produced four of the five runs in the second inning on a grand slam home run from Erin Jankiewicz, only her second home run of the season. The Jets started the inning with back-to-back singles. With the bases loaded, a single to right scored the first run on the inning for a 2-1 edge before the four runs from the grand slam upped the advantage to 6-1.
 
The Jets went up 1-0 in the first inning with an infield single that scored one run from third base.
 
RSU matched the Jets with one run in the bottom half of the first inning. After Kenzie Lloyd walked, Morgen Blanchard drove her in with a deep double to the wall in center field. Lloyd's speed on the bases allowed her to score all the way from first base.
 
The navy and red closed to within two runs at 6-4 in the third inning when Taylor Santistevan knocked a three-run home run to left field, her seventh of the season.
 
NU doubled the lead to 8-4 with a two-RBI double to the gap in left. The Jets were close to adding one more run on the play, but a baserunner was called out at third for missing the bag.
 
In the seventh inning, RSU placed two runners on with no outs, but for the second straight game the Jets turned a double play to end any momentum. A strikeout ended the game with the 8-4 final score.
 
Arika Araujo went 3-for-4 with one run scored for RSU. Santistevan finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Blanchard was 2-for-4 with one RBI.
 
NU's Jankiewicz totaled a perfect 4-for-4 day with four RBI, all on the grand slam home run.
 
The Hillcats go on the road for the final time in the 2017 season on Tuesday with a doubleheader at Drury at 3 p.m. in Springfield, Mo. Live stats will be available.