Photo by Garry Talbert
NEWBERRY — Behind a contagious hitting performance that spanned both games of the doubleheader, the Newberry College softball team (5-4, 0-0 South Atlantic Conference) swept their doubleheader with the UNC Pembroke Braves (2-3).
The Wolves run-ruled the Braves in game one 11-3 and took game two in a closer 8-3 victory.
Sophomore pitcher Lindsey Foster (Griffin, Ga.) took the victory for the Wolves in the circle in game one. She allowed four hits in four innings pitched and struck out four batters. She allowed three runs, one of which was earned. Freshman catcher Molly Mattas (Duncan) came up big for the Wolves in game one, and went 3-3 with five RBIs and a walk. Four of those RBIs came in the second inning when Mattas sent a grand slam over the center field fence.
Junior pitcher Alexandrea Sullivan (Campobello) earned the victory in the circle for the Wolves. She pitched four innings and allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits. Sullivan recorded nine strikeouts in her winning effort. Freshman Jayla Jackson (Dillon) earned the save for her three innings in the circle. She allowed just three hits and struck out three while not allowing a run against the Braves. Sophomore right fielder Leah Evans (Pageland) led the way offensively for the Wolves in game two. She went 3-3 at the plate with a walk. Evans tallied an RBI and scored twice in the 8-3 victory.
Game One:
The Wolves started the scoring early in the first game as Mattas knocked a one-out RBI double into center field for the day’s first run. After a single to keep the hits coming, two consecutive strikeouts ended the Wolves time at the plate in the first inning.
With the bases loaded and two outs already in the inning, Mattas again came up clutch for the Wolves and sent a towering fly ball well beyond the fence in center field to collect four more RBIs and put the Wolves up 5-0. The Wolves collected two more singles in the inning but a line out to the Braves’ second baseman ended the scoring opportunity.
After junior second baseman Tori Rose (Moncks Corner) walked to start the inning and advanced on a ground ball, Foster provided herself with an additional insurance run with a single to right field, scoring Rose and putting the Wolves up 6-0.
The Braves did not go down without a fight as the second batter in the top of the fourth inning hit a homerun following the first batter reaching on an error, cutting the Wolves’ lead to 6-2. Foster regained her composure and retired the next three batters in order to minimize the damage.
Following the run-allowing error with runners on first and second, Olivia Chestnut (Mount Dora, Fla.) induced a popout and threw over to second base to get the runner who had not tagged up, quickly picking up two outs. She retired the next batter on a swinging strikeout and again the Wolves minimized the damage of the inning.
After not scoring any runs in the bottom of the fifth or allowing any runs in the top of the six, the Wolves went off for five runs to end the game in the sixth inning. With one out and runners on first and second, junior designated player Sierra Brogdon (Leesburg, Ga.) singled up the middle for the first run of the inning. Junior center fielder Vanessa Wilson (Loganville, Ga.) immediately followed Brogdon with a single of her own to score the Wolves’ second run of the inning and pushed the score to 8-3. After a ground out put runners on second and third base with two outs, a two-RBI single from Rose put the Wolves one run away from claiming a run-rule victory. Senior first baseman Lindsey Mitchell (Fairfield, Ohio) ended the game with a single down the left field line to score Rose from second base. The Wolves tallied six hits in the game-ending inning and took the first game of the doubleheader 11-3.
Game Two:
The Wolves once again started the game out by scoring in the first inning. A bases-loaded fielder’s choice off the bat of Brogdon recorded the first out of the half inning, but also pushed across the Wolves’ first run. Wilson singled up the middle to score the runner who advanced to third on Brogdon’s fielder’s choice and the Wolves took the two-run lead into the second inning.
After a 1-2-3 top of the second, the Wolves pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the second. Mattas collected her sixth and seventh RBIs of the day on a double that hit off of the fence in right-center field, and advanced the runner who started on first to third base. That runner, senior left fielder Emily Hughes (Parrish, Fla.), scored on the next at bat as Brogdon grounded out but put the ball far enough away from home plate that there was no possibility the Braves would get Hughes at the plate. Heading into the third inning, the Wolves lead the Braves 5-0.
With two outs and runners on first and second, a two-RBI double from the Braves cut into the Wolves lead. Sullivan got the next batter to fly out to the outfield and keep the runs scored in the inning for UNC Pembroke to two.
The Wolves answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third as sophomore third baseman Reagan Smith (Tega Cay) knocked an RBI double down the left field. After the second out of the inning, Smith came around to score as Evans pushed a ball through the right side of the infield for a single. The Wolves took their 7-2 lead into the fourth inning.
The Wolves and Braves combined for just two more runs the rest of the way. The Braves’ came on a solo shot with one out in the top of the fourth. The Wolves final run of the day came when freshman shortstop Melanie Carr (Davie, Fla.) hit a two-out single with runners on first and second. UNC Pembroke managed to load the bases with two outs in the sixth inning, but a batted ball to Carr at shortstop ended any hope of the Braves scoring any additional runs and the Wolves claimed game two 8-3.