NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team opened up their South Atlantic Conference slate with a doubleheader sweep of Mars Hill College, 5-4 and 3-0. The scarlet and gray scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh in the day's first game to come back and defeat the Lions.

Newberry moved to 19-6 on the year and 2-0 in the SAC as Mars Hill dropped to 11-13 with a 0-2 SAC record. Recording victories for Newberry was Kristen Hicks (Bamberg, S.C.) and Amanda Huckestein (Port Charlotte, Fla.).

Game One: Newberry 5, Mars Hill 4 - Box Score
The Lions' opened the game with two runs in the first off two hits. Rebekah Huff started the game with a bunt single and then stole second base. Ashley Angell then reached on an error by Courtney Flach (Tampa, Fla.) as Huff moved to third.

A passed ball allowed Huff to score and moved Angell to third, who would later score by stealing home.

Newberry scored its first run of the game in the third inning as Aissa Gatewood (N. Charleston, S.C.) reached on a two-out bunt single. Gatewood then stole second and scored one pitch later as Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) singled to left-center bringing the score to 2-1.

The scarlet and gray took the lead in the next inning by scoring two runs off two hits and an error. Huckestein singled to left center and was followed by an Angela Cataldo (Sumter, S.C.) single down the leftfield line.

An error by the Lions' third-baseman, Jenny Hoyt, allowed Huckestein to score as Amy Jarrell (Dover, Del.) reached first base on the play. Later in the inning, Chelsea Chipoletti (Brooksville, Fla.) scored on a passed ball to take the lead from Mars Hill at 3-2.

However, the Lions pounced back on the lead as they scored two runs in the next inning off back-to-back homeruns. With one out, Ashley Angell notched an inside-the-park homerun as two Newberry outfielders nearly collided allowing the ball to run to the outfield fence. Not to be outdone by her teammate, Ashley Seawell homered to left-center giving the Lions the 4-3 lead.

The scarlet and gray displayed fireworks in the seventh inning as Newberry scored two runs on two hits. Whitney Wiles (Iva, S.C.) led off with a pinch hit single to third base. After Wiles advanced to second on a Jarrell sacrifice bunt, Stephanie Blazer (Greenville, S.C.) reached base on a fielding error by the pitcher, Paige Brantley.

Gatewood came back into the game for Blazer and stole second to put two Newberry runners in scoring position. A passed ball on a Reid strikeout allowed Wiles to score and tie the game for Newberry.

Winning the game for Newberry was Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.), who singled down the left-field line scoring Gatewood from third base and capping a one-run comeback.

Earning the victory for Newberry was Hicks, who moved to 9-4 on the season with her four strikeout performance, while allowing eight hits. Brantley took the loss for Mars Hill as she fell to 2-4 on the year.

Game Two: Newberry 3, Mars Hill 0 - Box Score
The second game didn't have the same back-and-forth scoring as its predecessor, but had the same result as Newberry came away with its second conference victory of the season.

The scarlet and gray clinched their fifth shutout of the season as Huckestein held the Lions to only two hits as she struck out four batters.

Newberry produced all three of their runs in the first three innings as the scarlet and gray had seven hits in the game.

In the opening inning, Gatewood led off with a walk and then advanced to second on a Richelle Mirabal (Tampa, Fla.) sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Powell singled to the shortstop, which scored Gatewood and gave Newberry the 1-0 lead.

Two innings later, Newberry piled on two more runs as Mirabal led off with a single to third base. Mirabal then advanced to second on a passed ball. Kat Hammond (Irmo, S.C.) scored Mirabal as she hit a double to left-center, which was two feet away from being a homerun.

After advancing to third on the throw from the outfielder, Hammond scored as a passed ball gave her an easy path to home. The second run of the inning would be all that Newberry would need as the scarlet and gray took a 3-0 lead.

Huckestein moved to 10-2 with her impressive two-hit shutout. Tara West garnered the loss for the Lions dropping her record to 6-7 on the year.

Newberry faces St. Andrews Presbyterian tomorrow at the Newberry College Softball Field in a doubleheader with the first pitch set for 1 p.m.