MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Newberry College split its double header against the Trojans from Mount Olive College Friday afternoon. The Lady Indians lost Game 1, 3-2 but took the nightcap, 1-0 as a first-inning error accounted for the game’s only run and Kristen Hicks made it stand with a two-hit shutout.

GAME 1: Mount Olive 3, Newberry 2
A three-run fifth inning helped to propel Mount Olive past Newberry as the Trojans beat the Lady Indians 3-2 in Game One.

Newberry scored its first run in the top of the first as Aissa Gatewood (N. Charleston, S.C.) led off the game with a bunt single, went to second on a one-out ground out and scored on Sara Powell’s (Ocean View, Del.) single to center.

In the second, Hayden Kidd (Gaffney, S.C.) gave the Indians a two-run lead with a solo home run just inside left field foul pole in the second inning. The home run was the first of the freshman’s collegiate career.

Katelin Edwards (Greer, S.C.) held the Trojans to just one hit through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth.

Kat Cahoon was hit by a pitch with one out, stole second and scored on Jazzmine Lee’s two-out single to shallow center.

Morgan Whaley worked a count to 1-2 but fouled the ball off her face forcing her to leave the game. Karen Thornton inherited Whaley’s 1-2 count and took the next three pitches to work a walk. Jenny Jackson then lined a 3-2 pitch off the fence in right-center to bring in Lee and Thornton.

Newberry threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Kidd and pinch-hitter Chelsea Hilbourn (Loris, S.C.) hit consecutive one-out singles. But Trojan second baseman Courtney Wallace accounted for the final two outs with force outs at second.

Anna Turvin, a transfer from South Florida Junior College, finished with a seven-hitter in her Trojan debut, striking out two and walking none as she picked up the win. Edwards took the loss for Newberry, despite pitching a five-hitter and recording eight strikeouts.

Kidd went 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run for the Lady Indians

GAME 2: Newberry 1, Mount Olive 0
Ginna Dean (Willow Springs, N.C.) reached on an error with one out in the top of the first and scored all the way from first on a throwing error off of Kat Hammond’s (Irmo, S.C.) infield single. The run proved to be the only run of the game as the Lady Indians won 1-0.

Both teams used key defensive plays to keep the score at 1-0. In the Mount Olive half of the third, Dean robbed Kelly Minshew of a potential extra base hit with a diving catch on a fly ball in the gap in left-center field. The catch loomed large when Kensie Cobb singled with two outs.

Newberry looked to add to its lead in the top of the fourth, but centerfielder Kat Cahoon threw Jessica Teague (Charlotte, N.C.) out at the plate trying to score from second.

Newberry loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth and with one out in the seventh, but left the runners stranded both innings. Mount Olive got out of the sixth on a strike out, foul out and fly out, and escaped damage in the seventh on a force at home and a ground out to short.

Hicks (Bamberg, S.C.) was able to keep the Trojan bats silent, retiring the side in order in each of the final four innings. The sophomore struck out five and walked two.

Jackson took the loss for Mount Olive, despite extending her streak of consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to 31 2/3

Hammond went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Lady Indians.

Newberry returns to action tomorrow, February 16, at 1 p.m. when they face the Bulldogs of Barton College.

Mount Olive 3, Newberry 2 (Feb 15, 2008 at Mount Olive, N.C.) (Game 1)
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Newberry............ 110 000 0 -  2  7  0      (5-4)
Mount Olive......... 000 030 X -  3  5  0      (1-0)
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Win-Anna Turvin(1-0)  Loss-Katelin Edwards(3-4)
HR NEW - Kidd (1).
T-1:49
Full Box Score

Newberry 1, Mount Olive 0 (Feb 15, 2008 at Mount Olive, N.C.) (Game 2)
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Newberry............ 100 000 0 -  1  8  1      (6-4)
Mount Olive......... 000 000 0 -  0  2  3      (1-1)
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Win-Kristen Hicks(3-0)  Loss-Jenny Jackson(0-1)
T-2:05  A-185
Full Box Score