NEWBERRY — Quinton Driggers worked out of an eighth-inning jam and Jacob Jeffcoat earned the first save of his collegiate career in a 4-2 Newberry win over North Greenville.
Driggers took over for starter Dylan Southerland after the first two batters reached in the eighth inning, signaling the end of a brilliant day for the senior right-hander. Driggers gave up a single to load the bases prior to a passed ball that allowed the Crusaders’ (6-3) second run of the day to cross the plate.
Driggers was up to the task, inducing a groundout and a fielder’s choice sandwiched around a walk to snuff out the Crusaders’ best chance for a rally. Jeffcoat got a flyout and a groundout to start the ninth before a walk brought the tying run to the plate. Tanner Lane, who earned his first start in right field, chased down a sharp liner in the gap for the final out to snap Newberry’s (4-6) four-game skid.
Southerland ran his record to 2-1 on the season with seven innings, allowing a pair of runs on just five hits. North Greenville’s Blake Hamilton, who was chased after allowing all four Newberry runs on eight hits in four innings.
The Wolves scored a run on a Dalton Lansdowne double and a single from Colin Allman in the fourth inning, but did the bulk of their damage in a three-run second that included nearly half of the Wolves’ 11 hits on the day. Consecutive singles by Peyton Spangler and Lane preceded a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Ackard and a strikeout to put two in scoring position with two outs for Lansdowne.
The freshman Lexington native laced a single into left field to score Spangler two pitches before Danton Hyman singled to center for the second run of the inning. Lansdowne went to third on the play and scored one pitch later on a wild pitch. The three runs in the inning were all the run support Newberry would need.
Four Newberry starters—Hyman, Allman, Lane and Lansdowne—finished with two hits apiece. Ackard was officially 0-for-1, but drew two walks and had a sacrifice in the second inning. Lansdowne accounted for two of Newberry’s four runs.
No North Greenville player finished with multiple hits as Newberry led in the hit column 11-6. Shortstop Connor Driscoll had a home run to left field in the top of the third.
The Crusaders swept the Wolves in Friday’s doubleheader 10-3 in Game One and 4-3 in Game Two.