Softball swept at UVA-Wise

WISE, Va. — The Newberry softball team was swept in a conference doubleheader for the first time this season on March 10, falling to UVA Wise 4-1 in the first game and 6-4 in the second game.

Game one:

Newberry was held to just one run on five hits. The lone run came in the top of the second when Hailey Hill hit a home run to left-center field which cut the UVA Wise lead to 2-1. The Cavaliers would score one of their own in the bottom of the inning before tacking on another run in the third to increase their lead. Kasey Widmyer threw five relief innings for the Wolves, allowing a pair of runs on two hits with a season-high seven strikeouts. She set down the final nine batters she faced, including striking out the side in the bottom of the fourth.

Game two:

The Wolves struck in the top of the fourth when Haley Simonds hit a home run to right-center field, tying the game at one. UVA-Wise came back in the bottom of the fourth for three runs, which Newberry answered in the top of the sixth; Paige Meyer led off the inning by reaching on an error by the second baseman. After a popout to shortstop, McKenzie Barneycastle singled, then reached second on an error by the third baseman, putting runners on the corners for Simonds, who picked up an RBI, on a single through the left side to make it a 4-2 game.

In the top of the sixth, Finn came on as a pinch runner, Hailey Hill hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Barneycastle to score and bringing the Wolves to within a run. UVA-Wise was able to escape the inning, but after failing to score in the bottom of the sixth, Newberry scratched across the game-tying run in the top of the seventh when Abigail Valentine led off by reaching on an error by the shortstop. Emma Price entered as a pinch runner and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. She advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring when Glanz hit into a fielder’s choice, bringing in the tying run. The Cavaliers would walk-off the Wolves in the seventh, handing Newberry just their third conference loss of the season, 6-4.