NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team closed out the home portion of its 2007 schedule with a split against rival Presbyterian College, dropping a 2-1 decision in the first game and holding off a late Blue Hose rally to win the nightcap, 6-5.

The Lady Indians are now 32-21-1 overall and 6-6 in South Atlantic Conference play, while Presbyterian is 28-13 and 6-6.

Game One: Presbyterian 2, Newberry 1
Kellyn Henderson led off the game with a triple and was promptly driven in on a Rachel Bailey single to give Presbyterian the early 1-0 lead.

Both defenses got their teams out of jams over the next three innings, but errors would be the deciding factor in the game.

Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.) led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the left side for the Lady Indians. Newberry tied the game at 1-all when PC third baseman Michelle Ramsden threw Christina Kirby's (Delmar, Del.) ball into right field, allowing Powell to score.

After the shaky first inning, Newberry pitcher Stephanie Monette (Conway, S.C.) had allowed only four runners on base when Laura Tate reached second on a fielding error by Powell in the top of the sixth. Tate stole third and scored the winning run when the ball was thrown into the outfield trying to catch her.

Paige Cassady (14-7) picked up the complete game win for PC as well as going 2-for-3 with two doubles. She gave up one unearned run on four hits while striking out six.

Monette (15-10) gave up two runs - one earned - on seven hits while striking out four in seven innings of work.

Game Two: Newberry 6, Presbyterian 5
The bottom third of the order drove in five of Newberry's runs as the Lady Indians staved off a furious Blue Hose rally to end the doubleheader.

Powell and Jenny Raines (Blythewood, S.C.) led off the bottom of the second by reaching on errors. Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) drove in Powell with a single up the middle, and a chopper down the left field line from Ginna Dean (Willow Springs, N.C.) brought Raines home. Reid was put out on a fielder's choice, but Ashley Marine (Peachtree City, Ga.) hit a single up the middle to plate Dean and give Newberry a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Indians doubled their lead in the bottom of the third when Reid hit her third homerun of the season to left-center, a three-run blast that gave Newberry a six-run advantage.

Tate hit a homer to center in the top of the fourth to narrow the deficit to 6-1, but the Blue Hose saved the theatrics until the top of the seventh.

With her team down by five runs with two outs in the seventh, Tate hit a three-run homerun, her second of the game and sixth of the season. She was followed up by a solo shot from Jessica Peterka (7) to cut the lead to 6-5 and knock out Newberry starter Kristen Hicks (Bamberg, S.C.). However, Monette needed just one pitch of relief work to pick up the save, as she got Ashley Ford to ground out to shortstop and end the game.

Hicks (3-2) picked up the win for Newberry, going 6.2 innings and giving up five runs - all earned - on six hits. Monette picked up her third save of the season on one pitch.

Mary Gordon (14-5) earned the loss for Presbyterian, giving up six runs - one earned - on nine hits and five strikeouts in five innings of work. Reliever Megan Wheelus gave up one hit in one inning.

The Lady Indians wrap up their South Atlantic Conference schedule Saturday as they play at Wingate University at 1 p.m. The regular season finale comes on Monday, with a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Anderson.