The Eagles baseball team struggled in its three-game series against Newman University on Friday and Saturday, dropping two of the games by at least six runs.
The Eagles rallied on Friday to split the doubleheader with Newman. The Jets built a seven-run lead in six and a half innings before Oklahoma Christian University’s Jared Sterling knocked a single and Ben McKenzie scored the team’s first run.
Newman recorded an additional run in the bottom of the seventh and the Eagles failed to retaliate, ending the first game with an 8-1 loss.
Pitcher Brennan Walker took the win in the second game as the Eagles avenged their home-turf loss with a 3-2 victory.
“We came back with more energy, had more hits, better pitching on the mound, just attacked and came after them,” pitcher Dylon Sturges said.
Jake Baxter started the Eagles’ lead with a two-RBI double to right field, sending Derek Jones and Alex Polston home in the first inning. The Jets scored one run in the fourth and Sterling added a run for the Eagles in the fifth to set the lead at 3-1. Newman recorded an RBI single in the seventh, but dropped the game 3-2 to Oklahoma Christian.
Saturday concluded with another loss for the Eagles and dropped their season record to 16-15 and 7-5 in the Heartland Conference.
Newman started off the final game with five runs by the top of the second inning. Zac Cobble’s pop fly to center field allowed McKenzie to record the Eagles’ first run in the bottom of the second, but Newman pushed the home team farther back with an additional two runs in the fourth.
Oklahoma Christian worked to make a comeback when Polston hit a two-RBI double in the fourth and Jake Baxter sent a ball over the wall in the fifth. The Jets responded with five runs in the seventh inning to increase their lead to 12-4.
Robert Rosser’s single sent Polston home and McKenzie assisted the team with a double to right center field, allowing Kyle Lacy and Baxter to score. The Jets had the final say with their 13th run scored in the ninth and ended the game as the 13-7 victor.
“I think we didn’t come out with enough fire today to put away a team that we should’ve put away,” Sturges said. “We didn’t play to our best ability, too many errors, too many walks, which I was a part of. I guess we just have to go back to work.”
The Eagles will face Southern Nazarene University on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
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