NEWBERRY – Newberry softball earned back-to-back sweeps in conference play for the first time this season as they defeated the Mars Hill Lions in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader at the Smith Road Complex.
The Wolves stand at 26-12 overall and 8-6 in the SAC while Mars Hill drops to 21-14 overall and 5-7 in SAC play this year. Newberry’s four-game winning streak has propelled the Wolves to third-best record in the conference.
Game One (Newberry wins 11-8 vs. Mars Hill)
Newberry’s offense exploded for 11 runs in game one, the most runs by the team so far in conference play.
Paige Meyer would lead off with an infield single to start the game as a home run by Haley Simonds to center field would give Newberry an early 2-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Alyssa Ball followed the inning with a 1-2-3 outing against the Lions including her first strikeout of the day.
Newberry added another run in the second inning as Julia Bomhardt singled up the middle of the field. A stolen base followed by a sacrifice bunt by Reagan Glanz would put Bomhardt at third where Ashley Willis’ groundout to second base easily scored the freshman speedster.
Mars Hill would respond in the third with one run on two hits, inching closer to the Wolves lead.
That wouldn’t faze the Wolves as the offense connected on four hits for four runs in the bottom half of the inning, starting with McKenzie Barneycastle’s infield hit to the pitcher.
Natalie Willis hit a deep ball to the right field corner and nearly over-ran Barneycastle on the base path for a stand up triple. Simonds followed as she hit another home run to center field, pushing Newberry’s lead to 6-1.
A walk to Hannah Davis and a bunt-single by Bomhardt put two runners on for the Wolves. Glanz would provide her second sacrifice bunt of the day, allowing the runners to advance a base. A. Willis would score Davis as she grounded out to shortstop, giving Newberry a 7-1 lead after three complete innings.
The Lions scored another run in the top of the fourth, staying within distance of the Wolves until another big inning by Newberry’s offense extended their lead.
Meyer and Barneycastle began the inning with back-to-back singles. Willis’ sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third before Simonds would earn a walk.
Davis then took her first pitch for a grand slam home run to left center, extending Newberry’s lead to 11-2.
Mars Hill would begin to rally in the following innings, eventually cutting their deficit to 11-8. Selice Daley entered the game in relief for the final two innings, managing to convert the Lions’ final three batters into three straight outs in the seventh inning to pick up the save.
Ball earned her 11th win of the year as the sophomore pitched four innings, striking out two batters.
Game Two (Newberry wins 7-5 vs. Mars Hill)
The Wolves would stay hot entering the second game of the day, scoring five runs in the first inning.
An incredible catch at the center field fence by A. Willis robbed the Lions from taking their first lead of the day. From there, the Wolves were able to do damage in the bottom half of the inning.
A lead-off single by Meyer followed by walks earned by Willis and Simonds loaded the bases for the Wolves. Davis then singled through the left side, scoring two runs on the play while a single by Bomhardt loaded the bases once again.
The Lions would make a pitching change, but the Wolves would continue to score as Glanz earned a walk and a fielder’s choice to the shortstop by A. Willis added two more runs.
Mars Hill walked Morgan Wagaman and Meyer leading to the fifth run of the inning while the Lions made their second pitching change in the first inning.
Down 5-0, the Lions would stay competitive in the game by scoring two runs in the third inning and three runs in the sixth to tie the game at 5-5.
The tie wouldn’t last past the sixth inning, however, as Davis connected on her second home run of the day to put Newberry ahead, 7-5.
Mars Hill would put the tying-run at the plate after leading off the seventh inning with a single. Ball, who entered the game as a relief pitcher, would strikeout one batter and force the other two to ground and fly out to end the game.
Ball would earn her second win of the day after entering the game in the sixth inning, pitching two innings and giving up no runs.