WINGATE, N.C. - The Newberry College softball team outlasted Tusculum for a 2-1 victory in the opening round of the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament. Richelle Mirabal (Tampa, Fla.) was the star for Newberry with a 3-for-4 plate appearance and two RBIs including a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Newberry, the third seed in the tournament, improved to 30-11 while sixth-seeded Tusculum fell to 16-25 on the year. Newberry beat the Pioneers for the third time this season as the scarlet and gray swept the regular-season doubleheader to cap off the year.

Amanda Huckestein (Port Charlotte, Fla.) earned the win for Newberry, dealing eight complete innings and surrendering zero earned runs on four hits and striking out 11. Newberry out-hit the Pioneers by a 9-4 margin in the game.

Stephanie Blazer (Greenville, S.C.) scored the first run of the game after drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the second inning. Blazer advanced to second via a sacrifice bunt by Angela Cataldo (Sumter, S.C.) and scored from there when Mirabal singled to deep right centerfield.

Newberry clung to the 1-0 lead for three innings until Tusculum rallied to tie the game in the top of the sixth. The Pioneers put a runner on base before Savannah Ewing (Rogersville, Tenn.) doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Brittany Hunley (Knoxville, Tenn.) delivered the run with a bloop single to center field to tie the game at 1-1. Ewing nearly scored the go-ahead run on a squeeze play but Huckestein fielded the bunt and quickly flipped to catcher Sara Powell (Ocean View, Del.) who applied the tag to preserve the tie and ultimately force extra innings.

Powell sparked Newberry's rally in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff double down the left field line. With two outs, Mirabal hit a groundball deep into the hole between third base and shortstop. Tusculum's shortstop fielded the ball but couldn't throw to first in time to beat Mirabal as Powell crossed the plate.

Newberry will now see No. 2 Carson-Newman which beat No. 7 Lincoln-Memorial, 6-0, in its opening round game at 9 a.m. on Friday, April 23.