NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team split a nonconference doubleheader with Limestone on Thursday afternoon. Limestone entered the game ranked No. 10 in the Southeast Region and rallied to beat Newberry, 2-1, in the seventh inning of the opener. Newberry adjusted in the second game in order to come away with a 2-0 victory.

Newberry moved to 23-7 (3-3 South Atlantic Conference) while Limestone went to 29-16.

Newberry's bats were quiet in the first game of the doubleheader and the team didn't record a hit until the fourth inning. Newberry did score first in the bottom of the first inning; however, but surrendered runs in the fourth and seventh innings to fall, 2-1. Felicia Taylor (Venice, Fla.) pitched well but was tagged with the loss and fell to 5-2. She allowed seven hits and struck out three but got the loss after Limestone took the lead in the top of the seventh.

The scarlet and gray did all their scoring in the first inning in the second game as well, but this time it would be enough to emerge victorious. Newberry plated two runs in the bottom of the first and Amanda Huckestein (Port Charlotte, Fla.) dealt seven scoreless innings. She kept the Saints off the board by limiting them to three hits and striking out eleven batters.

Game One: Newberry 1, Limestone 2 -
Box ScoreNewberry got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning with the attentive base running of Aissa Gatewood (North Charleston, S.C.). Gatewood reached after being hit by a pitch and moved to second when Jessica Reid (Walhalla, S.C.) reached on a throwing error. Gatewood alertly took third base on the stray throw. Felicia Taylor grounded out to the first baseman but earned an RBI when the speedy Gatewood crossed the plate on the play.

Aissa Gatewood leads the team in runs scored this season with 28 while Felicia Taylor has amassed a team-high 33 RBIs.

The score was still 1-0 when the Saints rallied in the fourth inning. Kayla Hamalainen (Surrey, Canada) led off the inning with a hard single to right field, stole second in the next at bat and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Hamalainen attempted the score on a ground ball to third base but Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.) threw home on the play where Tiffany Pigage (Lexington, S.C.) applied the tag for the second out of the inning. The Saints proceeded with back-to-back singles; however, to score Mallory Kuykendall (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) who had reached on the fielder's choice.

The 1-1 tie held until the top of the seventh inning. A Newberry fielding error put Hannah Mills (Richmond, Va.) on first base. Mills then stole second base and advanced to third on a ground ball. With two outs, Jenna Smith (Goose Creek, S.C.) drove a hard single back to the pitcher's circle that was barely out of the reach of Felicia Taylor. Taylor got a glove on the ball, but the single scored the eventual winning run.

Game Two: Newberry 2, Limestone 0 - Box Score
Just like it did in the first game, Newberry did all of its scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Felicia Taylor walked and stole second base before Amanda Huckestein singled through the shortstop. Huckestein stole second base as well to put runners on second and third with two outs. Sara Powell rose to the occasion with a two-RBI double to deep right centerfield to put Newberry on top 2-0.

That was all the scoring the game would see and it proved to be enough for Huckestein to get the win. The win improves her season record to 13-3. Huckestein went the full seven innings for Newberry and only allowed four Limestone hitters to reach base. She stands at third place in the SAC with 110 strikeouts.

Newberry hosts a third doubleheader in as many days on Friday afternoon when Catawba visits Newberry for a SAC twinbill. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.