NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Newberry softball team dropped its South Atlantic Conference opener with Carson-Newman College this afternoon after rallying late in both games.  The Lady Indians, down three runs, loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh in game two, but were unable to even the score as they fell 6-3.  Newberry was outscored 4-1 in game one.  On the season, Newberry drops to 13-22-1 overall and 0-2 in the SAC, while Carson-Newman improves to 27-7 and 2-0 in the conference.

The Lady Eagles jumped out early in game two as they put up five runs in the first three innings.  A double from Katie Speaks (Manassas, Va.) scored two runs in the second, while three more Eagle runs came in the third, one off a Lisa Rogers (Rossville, Ga.) solo home run and two following a pair of Newberry errors. 

Newberry got on the board in the fifth after Courtney Lindler (Irmo, S.C.) drove in Jessica Jackson (Batesburg, S.C.) on a shot up the middle.  A Kimberly Thorne (Dalton, Ga.) sacrifice fly gave the Lady Eagles their sixth run in the top of the seventh, but Newberry rallied in their half of the inning to make things interesting. 

Betsy Shealy (Leesville, S.C.) started the inning with a single to left field, but was later called out on Ashleigh Anderson’s (Barnwell, S.C.) fielder’s choice.  Jackson and Lindler reached on an error and a fielder’s choice, respectively, followed by a Sarah Lynch (Pompano Beach, Fla.) RBI double.  Christina Kirby (Delmar, Del.) and Amy Jarrell (Dover, Del.) both walked, bringing in Lindler to score.  With the go-ahead run at the plate, Newberry couldn’t produce as Kat Hammond (Irmo, S.C.) struck out.

McKenzie Phillips (Wallace, N.C.) (6-8) was charged with the loss while Megan Elliott (Chattanooga, Tenn.) picked up her second win of the day, moving to 17-4 on the season.  Stephanie Monette (Conway, S.C.) pitched five plus innings of relief for Newberry and struck out two batters. 

In the opener, Carson-Newman scored two runs in each of the first two innings.  Thorne’s double to deep left field scored the first two runs for the Lady Eagles, while Mandy Stevens (Knoxville, Tenn.) sent a shot through the left side scoring the next two Eagle runs.  Newberry’s defense held tight for the rest of the game, but their offensive rally came too late.

Lynch got Newberry going in the seventh with a single to third base, followed by a Kirby single through the left side.  Jenny Raines (Blythewood, S.C.) stepped up with an RBI single up the middle, but that was the end of the Lady Indian rally as the next two batters were retired in turn.

Kirby (6-10) struck out six in the loss for Newberry, while Elliott picked up the win.  Elliott had a no-hitter heading into the bottom of the seventh, but the Lady Indians played spoiler with three hits in the inning.

Next up for the Lady Indians is a home doubleheader with Catawba College on March 28.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.  The Lady Eagles head home for a doubleheader with Anderson College on March 26 beginning at 1:30 p.m.