NEWBERRY, S.C. � Claflin pitcher Lance Miller (Chester, S.C.) turned in a complete game performance, as the Panthers defeated the Newberry Indians for the second time this season, 8-3 in Division II baseball action.  Newberry, losers of nine straight, falls to 15-32 on the season.

Despite a pitch count that topped 130, Miller was allowed to throw nine complete innings, scattering eight hits while fanning five Indian batters.

Newberry jumped on the scoreboard in the first inning, after back-to-back doubles from T.J. McCord (Manning, S.C.) and Malcolm McLeod (Chapin, S.C.) gave the Indians an early 2-0 lead.  McLeod went 2-for-5 on the evening with an RBI.

Claflin would get a run back in their half of the third inning, when the Panthers used a squeeze bunt to bring Travis Clark (Columbia, S.C.) home from third, cutting the Indian lead to 2-1. 

The score remained 2-1 until the Newberry half of the fourth, when Indian third baseman Ryan Easterby (Charleston, S.C.) hit a leadoff home run to extend the Indian lead to 3-1.  Easterby was 2-for-4 in the contest.

However, the top of the sixth proved to be the undoing of the Indians, as the Panthers took advantage of three Newberry errors and a shaky relief appearance from Pete Stuppiello (Gilbert, S.C.), to put Claflin in front 5-3.  Panther shortstop Jamie Aimar (Bowman, S.C.) hit an RBI single in the inning, as did second baseman Darrell Davis (Eutawville, S.C.).

Aimar went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the contest, while Davis went 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Stuppiello (3-6) lasted only a third of an inning, surrendering three earned runs on three hits and a walk. 

Claflin put the game out of reach in the eighth, as the Panthers would tack on three more runs.  After an RBI double from Aimar, Clark sent a towering, two-run homer over the right field fence that gave Claflin the 8-3 lead.  Miller retired the Indians in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the Panther victory.

The Indians are back in action on April 16th, when Newberry will travel to Hickory, N.C. to do battle with SAC rival Lenoir-Rhyne College.  First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.