JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Newberry College softball team opened its South Atlantic Conference season with a split at Carson-Newman College on Saturday. The Lady Indians won Game One, 3-1, and dropped Game Two, 12-3 in five innings.

Newberry (23-16-1, 1-1 SAC) has now eclipsed last season's win total, as Carson-Newman is now 25-7 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Game One: Newberry 3, Carson-Newman 1
Newberry took a 3-0 lead in the third on three hits off Lady Eagle starter Stephanie Templeton. Newberry's Ginna Dean (Willow Springs, N.C.) singled and advanced to second on an error by leftfielder Katie Speaks. After Kat Hammond (Irmo, S.C.) walked, Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.) doubled to score Hammond for a two-run Lady Indian lead. Powell scored on a Christina Kirby (Delmar, Del.) single to give Newberry a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Eagles loaded the bases in the bottom of the third, but Whitney Hickam lined out to Powell, who doubled up pinch runner Savannah Helton to end the Carson-Newman threat.

C-N's Hillary Hammond homered in the fifth inning to put Carson-Newman within two runs, but the Lady Eagles could not score in the sixth inning as Newberry maintained a two-run lead. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Speaks and Jessie Howard singled to put runners at first and third with one out, but Whitney Durham and Whitney Hickam flied out to Dean in centerfield as Newberry claimed the 3-1 win.

Newberry's Stephanie Monette (10-8, Conway, S.C.) picked up her 10th win of the season, scattering seven hits and striking out four through seven innings of work, giving up one earned run on Hammond's homer. C-N's Templeton took the loss after pitching seven innings, giving up two earned runs and striking out four.

Game Two: Carson-Newman 12, Newberry 3 (5)
Carson-Newman's big innings put Newberry away for a Game Two loss.

The Lady Eagles earned three runs in the first inning. Howard singled and stole second to lead off the game while Whitney Durham's sacrifice bunt advanced Howard to third. Amy Jarrell (Dover, Del.) dropped Sarah Little's fly ball as Howard scored for a 1-0 Lady Eagle lead. Mandy Stevens then hit a two-run homerun to right centerfield for a three-run Lady Eagle advantage.

Carson-Newman added two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings, respectively. Little drove in two runs with a single in the third while Amber Palmer doubled home a pair of runs in the fourth.

Newberry finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth when Courtney Lindler (Irmo, S.C.) singled home Jarrell and Kat Hammond hit a two-run homer (6) to cut C-N's lead to 7-3. The homerun was Hammond's 10th of her career, putting her in third place all-time in the Newberry record books.

However, the Lady Eagles dashed any hope of a Newberry comeback as Hickam hit her grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.

Jessie Armstrong (10-3) earned the win, scattering eight hits and striking out three Newberry batters while Kirby (11-6) took the loss for the Lady Indians, giving up 10 earned runs on 11 hits.

The Lady Indians return home for a Monday doubleheader against North Greenville University slated for a 2 p.m. start. Newberry continues SAC play Wednesday at Catawba College.

Special thanks to Carson-Newman Sports Information for their assistance with this article.