NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Mars Hill College on Saturday, dropping Game One, 5-2 in eight innings, while winning Game Two, 4-2, on Senior Day.

Newberry is now 26-19-1 overall and 2-4 in the conference, while Mars Hill is 28-16 and 2-4 in the SAC.

Game One: Mars Hill 5, Newberry 2 (8)
The Lady Indians erased an early deficit, but a three-run top of the eighth gave Mars Hill the win.

After leadoff batter Rebekah Huff reached on a dropped pop-up, Ashley Angell reached on an infield single. Kristina Osborn smacked a double down the left-field line to drive both runners in and give Mars Hill an early 2-0 lead. However, starting pitcher Christina Kirby (Delmar, Del.) sat the next three batters down in order to stop the damage.

Neither team was able to score again until the bottom of the sixth, when Newberry's Courtney Lindler (Irmo, S.C.) walloped a double to right center. Sophomore Kat Hammond (Irmo, S.C.) appeared to have tied the game on a long homerun, but the shot was called foul. Hammond eventually walked. Kirby helped out her own cause with a two-run double off the left field fence, tying the game at 2-all.

The bases were full of Lady Indians with one out, before Tiffany Pigage (Lexington, S.C.) grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Mars Hill was unable to score in the top of the seventh, but Lindler grounded into a well-executed double play to send the game into extra innings.

With Angell on second due to the international tiebreaker, Osborn hit a bunt single, putting runners on first and third. Christa Fullwood drove Angell home with a double to left-center, and Tiara Mitchell's single to left-center brought pinch runner Lindsey Barrier in. The Lady Indians got two batters out, but Anna James' single to center brought Fullwood home for the final Lion run.

Lindler started on second in the Newberry seventh, and Hammond led off with a walk. Kirby grounded into a fielder's choice, and a sacrifice bunt by Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.) put runners on second and third with two outs. However, a Jenny Raines (Blythewood, S.C.) grounder ended the game.

Kirby (12-8) pitched all eight innings for Newberry, giving up five runs - two earned - giving up 10 hits, striking out four and walking two.

Mars Hill starter Tiffany Farthing went 5-1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two. Katie Blankenship (10-3) pick up the win in 2-2/3 innings of relief, as she walked two, but gave up no hits or runs.

Game Two: Newberry 4, Mars Hill 2
It took a sixth-inning comeback for the Lady Indians to claim the win in the nightcap.

Mars Hill scored both of its runs in the top of the second. With the bases full of Lions, Katie Bryden's bunt single plated Fullwood for the first run. A James groundout plated Mitchell for the second run.

Newberry answered in the bottom of the third, as Lindler reached on an error to lead the frame off. Hammond's single up the middle brought Lindler home, but Hammond was put out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Powell led the bottom of the fourth off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by McKenzie Phillips (Wallace, N.C.). Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) smacked a two-out triple to the gap in right-center to tie the game at 2-all.

A Powell walk in the bottom of the sixth started the game-winning rally. After Powell stole second, a Phillips single up the middle plated the winning run. Reid ran out a bunt single to put runners on first and second, and a wild pitch and passed ball scored the insurance run.

Newberry starter Stephanie Monette (12-9, Conway, S.C.) sealed the complete game win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh. The sophomore gave up two unearned runs on four hits in seven innings.

Blankenship started and gave up two runs - one earned - in four innings on five hits. Paige Brantley (6-6) picked up the loss, giving up two earned runs in two innings of relief, allowing four hits and a walk, while striking out three.

The Lady Indians play a non-conference road doubleheader at Southern Wesleyan on Monday at 5 p.m., before returning home for a crucial South Atlantic Conference doubleheader Wednesday against Lenoir-Rhyne at 2:30 p.m.