NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry softball team dropped two games this afternoon to conference foe Catawba College, 7-0 and 9-1.  Newberry recorded just five hits on the day while Catawba poured in 23.  The Lady Indians of Newberry fall to 13-24-1 overall and 0-4 in the South Atlantic Conference, while the Lady Indians of Catawba improve to 4-0 in the SAC and 18-15 overall.

Catawba jumped out quickly in game one as they put up three runs in the first inning.  Ashlee Rhoades scored a run with her sacrifice fly and Ryann Baker added the other two runs with a two-run home run.  Newberry didn't pick up their first hit until Jessica Jackson (Batesburg, S.C.) hit a bunt single in the fourth. 

Catawba, who added a run in the fifth thanks to a Jessie Whitesides solo blast, stymied the Newberry offense throughout the game en route to giving up just two hits.  Winning pitcher Lindsay Ettinger struck out eight batters on the game.  The Lady Indians of Catawba capped the game with three seventh inning runs. 

Newberry hurler Christina Kirby (Delmar, Del.) (6-11) picked up the loss, while junior Michelle Turner (Hutchinson, Kan.) saw her first action on the mound all season in relief effort. 

In game two, Catawba once again jumped on top early with six first inning runs.  Whitesides started the scoring barrage with an RBI single and Jenn Mehl followed with a two-run single.  A pair of Newberry errors allowed two more runs to score, while Whitesides finally finished the scoring spurt with her second RBI single of the inning. 

The Lady Indians of Catawba added two more runs in the third after Cassie Markham blasted a two-run home run.  The Lady Indians of Newberry finally got on the board in the fourth thanks to Kirby's solo home run over the left field fence.  Catawba was able to add one more run in the fifth and Newberry couldn't produce any more runs in their half of the inning ending the game early per the mercy rule. 

McKenzie Phillips (Wallace, N.C.) (6-9) picked up the loss for Newberry, while Ettinger earned her second win of the day improving her record to 17-11.  Stephanie Monette (Conway, S.C.) struck out three batters in four plus innings of relief work.

Next up for Newberry is a doubleheader at Erskine College tomorrow, March 29, beginning at 2:30 p.m.  Catawba heads home for a doubleheader with Mount Olive College on March 29 at 2 p.m.