NEWBERRY — The Newberry Softball team picked up a pair of key SAC wins on April 11 by sweeping a double header from Mars Hill. Hannah Towery led the Newberry offense, going 4-6 with nine runs batted in.
Game one:
Alyssa Ball sent the Lions down in order in the top of the third, Newberry struck for a pair of runs, both coming when McKenzie Barneycastle hit a triple down the right field line to score Reagan Glans. Barneycastle scored when the throw went into the third base dugout, giving Newberry a 2-0 lead.
The Wolves did a lot of damage in the fourth, scoring eight runs on four hits, including a pair of home runs from Towery that blew the game wide open. The mercy rule made it a 10-0 win in five innings.
Alyssa Ball threw all five innings, allowing just one hit, which came in the first inning. She improved to 3-1 this season.
Game two:
The second game looked like it would be a close one, with Mars Hill scoring in the top of the first then holding Newberry scoreless in the bottom of the inning. They weren’t as lucky in the second, as Newberry scored a pair of runs, coming on RBI singles from Paige Meyer and Barneycastle to make it 2-1.
The Lions tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo home run, but Newberry responded, as Towery stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and ripped a double down the left field line, clearing the bases and making it 5-2 in favor of the Wolves.
Newberry piled on the runs in the fifth, with back-to-back singles from Sierra Brogdon and Tedi Nunn. Nunn stole third, setting up Meyer for a infield single that loaded the bases for Barneycastle, who reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and allowed a run to score. Mallena Wright grounded out to second, but picked up an RBI as Valentine came across to make it 7-2. Simonds then singled into left field, bringing in a pair of runs to set up Towery to hit a walk-off single into center field, allowing Maddie Finn to score the game-winning tenth run.
The final was 10-2 in five innings.