Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
NEWBERRY — The Wolves welcomed no.17 Lenoir-Rhyne to the Smith Road Complex on Saturday, March 8 for a three-game weekend series, which included a double header on Saturday and one road game against in Hickory, N.C. on Friday, March 7. Unfortunately, Newberry College dropped all three games, which included a shutout in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Wilson Wages picked up four hits on the day and Kade Faircloth drove in three runs but the Wolves dropped a pair of games at #17 Lenoir-Rhyne 18-8 and 11-0 on a brisk day in Hickory.
Faircloth had a three-run home run and a double in the first game to account for his three RBI while Keillor Osbon contributed a solo home run and two runs batted in. Anthony Plotkin also had a run scoring double.
Wages had three hits in four at bats in the opener and had a hit in his only at bat in the second game.
The Wolves dropped to 12-11 overall and 4-8 in the SAC.
Newberry returns to action at home against nationally ranked North Greenville Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 7
The Newberry Wolves put up a strong fight at Durham Field, but were unable to overcome a late surge from Lenoir-Rhyne, falling 7-4 in a conference battle on Friday afternoon.
Newberry got off to a promising start in the second inning when Logan Busenlehner gave the Wolves the lead with a two-RBI single, scoring Anthony Plotkin who reached on a single and Wilson Wages who got on with a hit by pitch.
Starting pitcher Ethan LeBron worked efficiently through the early innings, striking out six batters over six innings of work. He kept the Bears in check until the seventh, where a four-run outburst shifted the momentum.
The Wolves remained within striking distance, trailing 5-2 entering the ninth. Another clutch two-RBI hit by Busenlehner, who went 3-for-4 on the day with four RBIs, cut the deficit to two. However, Lenoir-Rhyne responded and sealed the final outs of the game.
Tuesday, March 4
The Newberry College Wolves battled against #5-ranked North Greenville but ultimately fell 16-6 in a high-scoring matchup at Ashmore Park. Despite tallying 11 hits, Newberry couldn’t keep pace with the Trailblazers, who erupted for eight runs in the sixth inning to take control.
Newberry struck first in the second inning with an RBI single from Cooper Gentry, scoring John Allen Forrester. The Wolves kept battling despite North Greenville pulling ahead, highlighted by a four-run rally in the eighth. Carson Vega went 2-for-2 off the bench, driving in a run later on, while Zane McLendon and Jonathan Velez each added clutch RBI singles in the eighth.
On the mound, Jacob Clark allowed just one run over two innings, forcing two key double plays. Hunter French added a strikeout in relief, keeping Newberry within striking distance until a big sixth inning from North Greenville broke the game open.