Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
NEWBERRY — Behind 26 runs and 27 hits across two games, the Newberry College softball team (16-11, 4-4 South Atlantic Conference) dominated their Saturday doubleheader with the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters (19-12, 5-3 SAC). The Wolves took game one 15-5 and game 11-3. Both games were called in the fifth inning due to the run rule.
Sophomore Lindsey Turner (Griffin, Ga.) earned the win in game one as she pitched four innings and allowed three runs while striking out four batters. Sophomore right fielder Leah Evans (Pageland) went 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored. Freshman catcher Molly Mattas (Duncan) went 3-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs and two runs scored. Two of Mattas’ RBIs came on a second-inning home run.
Junior Olivia Chestnut (Mount Dora, Fla.) earned the win as she pitched a complete game in game two. She allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four batters. Senior Lindsey Mitchell (Fairfield, Ohio) and junior Hailey Hill (Summerville) each hit home runs en route to the Wolves’ eight-run victory. Three of Mitchell’s game-leading four RBIs came on her third-inning blast.
Game one:
The Railsplitters opened the scoring early as a two-out double brought home the game’s first run in the first inning. The Wolves answered almost immediately in the bottom of the first inning as junior first baseman Sierra Brogdon (Leesburg, Ga.) singled into right field, scoring both runners who were in scoring position. Brogdon came around to score when, two batters later, junior center fielder Vanessa Wilson (Loganville, Ga.) singled, putting runners on first and second with just one out. Following a fly out, junior left fielder Amber Dalfonso (Apopka, Fla.) doubled to left field, scoring both runners as the Wolves took a 5-1 lead heading to the second inning.
After holding the Railsplitters to just one hit in the top of the second, a leadoff single came around to score on Mattas’ two-run shot to left field. With a runner on first, a double from Wilson scored the team’s eighth run of the game. On the next at bat, Wilson came around to score on a single. After a walk to load the bases with two outs, Evans singled up the middle, adding two more runs to the lead. As the game entered the third inning, the Wolves held a 10-run, 11-1, lead.
Foster continued her stellar performance as she sat the side down in order in the third inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Railsplitters cut the lead to eight runs as a two-out single brought home two runs. The Wolves doubled that number as they plated four runs in the bottom of that inning. A bases-loaded walk brought home the first run and Mattas added two RBIs to her team lead with a double. Freshman pinch hitter Yahaira Williams (Key West, Fla.) added the fourth run to the board for the Wolves with an RBI fielder’s choice. The Wolves lead stood at 12 runs, 15-3, with the Railsplitters needing five runs to extend the game.
With two outs and two runners in scoring position, two consecutive singles added two runs for the Railsplitters, but it was too little too late for the Railsplitters as the Wolves took the 10-run victory 15-5.
Game two:
The Wolves picked up right where they left off from game one as three consecutive RBI singles allowed the Wolves to take a three-run lead heading into the second inning.
After Chestnut stranded two runners on base in the top of the second, the Wolves added four to their lead in the bottom of the second. Hill led off the inning with a solo home run. With two on and one out, Brogdon added another RBI to her daily total with a single. With two outs and the bases loaded, a single from sophomore second baseman Mady Brown (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and a walk from Dalfonso put the Wolves up 7-0 heading into the third inning.
After allowing a lead-off walk, Chestnut bounced back and retired the next three batters consecutively to send the Wolves back up to bat. The Wolves capitalized on that opportunity and added another four runs to their total in the bottom of the third. With runs on first and second, Wilson again came through with an RBI hit, this time a one-RBI single. Mitchell scored herself and the two runners on base with a no-doubt shot to center field, giving the Wolves an 11-0 lead.
Chestnut again held the Railsplitters hitless in the fourth inning as Lincoln Memorial sent just four batters to the plate in the inning. The fifth inning was not the same story as with two out and two on, the Railsplitters’ second baseman hit a home run to center field, bringing the game to the final score of 11-3 as Chestnut got the next batter to ground out, securing the second run-rule victory of the day.