GREENVILLE, S.C. � On a day when weather induced a schedule change to an hour earlier start, Newberry College and Catawba College played 17 innings of baseball in just over four and a half hours, including a 25 minute break between games at Greenville Municipal Stadium in Greenville, S.C. Saturday afternoon.

The Newberry Indians (19-27, 12-10 SAC) assured a series victory in the first game on Saturday with a 7-4 win. The Indians of Catawba (29-16, 12-11 SAC) avoided a sweep by picking up a win in a 1-0 pitcher�s duel that lasted an extra inning.

With a win in game one, Newberry tied the school record for most wins in South Atlantic Conference play with 12. The 1999 Indian baseball team went 12-8 in conference and won the South Atlantic Conference tournament that season.

Game One
Newberry jumped on Catawba early in game one with a three run first inning. Junior centerfielder Tyler Manasa led off the game with a double to left center and sophomore leftfielder Nick Martin followed with a walk.

Already in trouble, Catawba starter Paul Link gave up a single through the middle to sophomore second baseman David Tunstill to put Newberry on the board. The Indians weren�t done scoring in the first. A Ryan Easterby sacrifice bunt moved Tunstill to second and Martin to third.

Senior catcher Brandon Gardner grounded to the shortstop to drive in Martin and then a well placed single to right center  from freshman third baseman Thomas Berryhill put the scarlet and gray up 3-0.

Newberry starter Ernie Castellano ran into some trouble the next inning plus, allowing three hits, three walks, and two runs to Catawba.  A Ryan Query double to lead off the top of the third chased Castellano from the game and brought in junior Stephen Byrd.

Though Byrd gave up sacrifice fly to Catawba centerfielder David Thomas, the Melbourne, Fla. native quelled a possible rally to hold the lead.

Newberry�s Casey Faulkenberry would add to that lead in the bottom of the fifth with a one out double into the left field corner.

Up 4-2, the Indians decided to tack on some insurance in the bottom of the seventh as the Newberry lineup produced a second three run inning.

With two outs, Manasa began the rally with a solid single to left center. A Paul Link walk induced by Faulkenberry pushed Manasa to second. Then, Tunstill slapped a single into right field scoring Manasa. While fielding the ball, Catawba rightfielder Jerry Sands let the ball go through his legs and Faulkenberry scored from first.

Senior Ryan Easterby followed with hard ground ball through the middle that plated Tunstill.

Catawba picked up a pair of runs in the top of the eighth, but Byrd finished the final seven innings to pick up his eighth win of the season. The junior right-hander scattered 12 hits over those seven innings, with just two runs scored  and striking out three.

The Indians handed Catawba starter Paul Link his first loss of the year and the lefty is now 6-1 on the season. Link was the only Catawba pitcher that saw action in game one, going eight innings while giving up seven runs, five earned, and nine hits.

Newberry leadoff man Tyler Manasa was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and Tunstill was 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Game Two
With a combined 24 hits and 11 runs in the first game, the game two was a steep contrast. Sophomore David Tunstill started his first game this season as a pitcher and Blake Ketner, 2-5 before today�s start,  got the nod for the Catawba Indians.

Both pitchers dominated the opposition�s lineup and through seven innings the issue was still in doubt. Tunstill went seven innings allowing just four hits and striking out four. For Catawba, Ketner went the complete game and gave up four hits.

Catawba finally broke through in the top of the ninth against Newberry senior reliever Travis Howard. Leadoff hitter Chad Baker hit a laser line drive back to Howard on the mound for a hit. Indian shortstop Anthony Dillenger attempted to make a play on the ball and threw it over the first baseman�s head permitting Baker to move up to second.

Query followed wit a single to the right side to score Baker and one run would be enough as Catawba avoided a sweep in extra innings.