SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team weathered three consecutive games in order to earn wins over Charleston (W. Va.), Belmont Abbey and North Greenville. Newberry was on the field for nearly eight hours but kept its record spotless on the day to go to 11-3 on the year.

Amanda Huckestein (Port Charlotte, Fla.) earned the win in the first game after coming in for late relief. Kristen Hicks (Bamberg, S.C.) shouldered the bulk of the work; however, with a 6.1 inning no-decision outing. Huckestein improved to 5-1 on the season.

Huckestein picked up her second win of the day after pitching five scoreless innings in relief in which she surrendered one hit and struck out five.

Felicia Taylor (Venice, Fla.) offered another shutout performance and went the distance in the mercy-rule shortened night cap. Taylor one-hit North Greenville and retired the last eleven hitters she faced in order. She maintained her spotless 0.00 ERA and improved to 2-0 on the year. Taylor has now pitched 11.1 scoreless innings and surrendered just two hits.

Taylor shined at the plate as well as she went 6-for-9 on the day with eight RBIs. Taylor hit two home-runs and a double to achieve a 1.444 slugging percentage on the day. Taylor has a .500 batting average this season with 17 hits in 34 at bats.

Game One: Newberry 4, Charleston (W. Va.) 3 - Box Score
Newberry had to come from behind on two separate occasions to get past the Golden Eagles of the University of Charleston (W. Va.).

The Eagles managed a pair of hits through the left side of the infield in the top of the first but Hicks worked out of the jam by way of a pair of strikeouts and a pop out to right field. Newberry managed a pair of hits in its half of the first as well but failed to get the runners across.

Both starting pitchers silenced the opposition's bats in the second and third innings to carry the scoreless tie into the fourth. Charleston put a pair of runners on in the fourth before Samantha Marcias (Safford, Ariz.) singled up the middle to score Mickie Murzynski (Erie, Pa.) for the first run of the game.

Newberry finally responded in the sixth when Aissa Gatewood (North Charleston, S.C.) led off with a slap hit that was too hot for the third baseman to handle. Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) then showed bunt but slapped the ball into the hole the second baseman had vacated in order to cover first base. Taylor moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt and Huckestein delivered the run with another sacrifice bunt that left no chance for the Eagles to throw Gatewood out at the plate.

Charleston tacked two more on in the seventh inning when they put runners on first and second through a walk and hit by pitch then delivered back-to-back singles to score both runners.

Newberry mounted yet another comeback in the bottom of the seventh that started with a triple to right center from Stephanie Blazer (Greenville, S.C.). The scarlet and gray then drew a pair of walks to load the bases with one out. An Eagle fielding error granted Newberry one run before Taylor delivered an RBI-single to left center to tie the game. Huckestein then stepped in and produced a hard single through the hole between the third baseman and shortstop to deliver the game-winning run.

Huckestein got credit for the win in the game after she came in the top of the seventh to bail Newberry out of the jam. Huckestein improved her record to 5-1 on the season.

Game Two: Newberry 10, Belmont Abbey 3 -
Box ScoreThe scarlet and gray hung with Belmont Abbey before exploding for five runs in the fifth to blow the game open. Tiffany Pigage (Lexington, S.C.) homered in the second inning and Taylor did so in the fifth and sixth innings to give Newberry the edge.

Newberry got on the board in the top of the first when Gatewood reached with a lead-off walk. Reid moved Gatewood to second with a sacrifice bunt and Taylor delivered an RBI-single to put Newberry up 1-0. Belmont Abbey answered in the bottom half of the inning, however. Evans led off the inning with a double deep to right center but Newberry's perfect relay throw gunned her down trying to stretch it into a triple. Crusader starting pitcher Sami Michaelis (Woodville, Ohio) then singled down the leftfield line. Newberry looked to get out of the inning with a double play but an appeal put the defense back on the field. Becca Rothrock (Winston-Salem, N.C.) crushed a ball down the left field line in the ensuing at bat that stayed fair just long enough to be called a home run and put Belmont Abbey up 2-1.

Newberry responded in the second inning when Pigage blasted a home run to straight-away center field with a runner aboard to retake the lead.

The scarlet and gray insured the win with a five-run, five-hit fifth inning to blow the game open. Gatewood hit an infield single to start the inning and reached third base before being caught in a rundown on Reid's sacrifice bunt attempt. Taylor homered deep to left-center field with Reid on second base in the next at bat to spur a Newberry rally. Huckestein drew a full-count walk and the next three Newberry hitters delivered singles to plate four runs. Gatewood drew a bases-loaded walk in her second at bat of the inning to put Newberry up 9-3.

Taylor put the game further out of reach in the sixth inning with a solo homerun to right center field.

Game Three: Newberry 8, Belmont-Abbey 0 -
Box ScoreNewberry finished off the evening with a mercy-rule shortened, 8-0 victory over North Greenville. Taylor pitched the full five innings and held the Crusaders to just one hit.

Newberry didn't find its way onto the scoreboard until Gatewood and Reid walked in the third and Taylor scored them both with a two-RBI single through the right side. Taylor stole second and advanced to third on a Huckestein single before eventually scoring on a bunt single by Stephanie Blazer. Huckestein came around later in the inning as well to put Newberry up 4-0.

The scarlet and gray rallied again in the fourth inning with a leadoff single from Richelle Mirabal (Tampa, Fla.) and walk by Courtney Flach (Tampa, Fla). The Crusaders changed pitchers and retired two Newberry hitters before Taylor struck yet again with a two-out RBI double to right field. Flach and Taylor both scored when Huckestein reached on a Crusader fielding error.

Newberry added one more in the fifth to go up by eight and induce the mercy rule. Mirabal doubled to the gap in right field to score Whitney Wiles (Iva, S.C.) from first base.

Newberry rounds out play in the Mid-South Classic with two Sunday afternoon games against East Stroudsburg State and Montreat College. The ESU game is scheduled for noon with the Montreat game to follow immediately after.