NEWBERRY, S.C. - The Newberry College softball team split a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with Lincoln Memorial on a cold and rainy senior day here, Saturday afternoon.

Game One: Newberry 1, Lincoln Memorial 0

The Wolves held strong defensively as they fended off the Railsplitters to take a 1-0 win in game number one.

Newberry (13-8, 2-4 SAC) picked up the winning run in the bottom of the third inning with a two out RBI single by senior Richelle Mirabal (Tampa, Fla.) that drove in teammate Chelsie Hilbourn (Loris, S.C.). Hilbourn reached earlier in the inning on a Lincoln Memorial (21-14, 2-4 SAC) error.

Pitcher Felicia Taylor (Venice, Fla.) got the Wolves out of a one out, bases loaded jam in the top of sixth as the Railsplitters threatened to take the lead. Taylor struck out the final two Lincoln Memorial batters to seal the win for the Wolves.

Taylor threw seven innings for the scarlet and gray while holding the Railsplitters to just three hits and striking out six. As a team, Newberry played a perfect game in the field behind Taylor, committing no errors during the win.

The Wolves picked up five hits during the ballgame, all singles, by five different players with Hilbourn recording the game's only run.

Game Two: Lincoln Memorial 9, Newberry 7 (9 inn.)

The Wolves rallied from behind twice to tie up the ball game but couldn't hold off the charging Railsplitters as they fell in extra innings, 9-7.

Down one run to Lincoln Memorial in the bottom of the seventh it was Mirabal who kept the Wolves alive with a leadoff double to centerfield. Lindsay Cruz (Irmo, S.C.) then knocked a pinch hit single to center field that brought in the tying run, sending the game into extra innings.

After a pair of errors by the Wolves in the field, Lincoln Memorial scored two in the top half of the eighth, putting the game at 6-4 in favor of the Railsplitters. With one out and runners on second and third in the bottom of the eighth, freshman Casey Stevens (Coral Springs, Fla.) grounded out to shortstop, but not before scoring senior Aissa Gatewood (N. Charleston, S.C.) to put the Wolves within one. Taylor then came home to tie the game up one pitch later after Lincoln Memorial pitcher Katie-Jo Gentry (Calhoun Ga.) sent a wild pitch into the backstop.

In the top of the ninth the Railsplitters got the best of Taylor as the senior gave up a three run homer to Cierra Mudd (Washburn, Tenn.) to put Lincoln Memorial up three. Angela Cataldo (Sumter, S.C.) drove in Mirabal in the bottom of the ninth for Newberry but it wasn't enough as the Wolves came up short, 9-7.

Newberry started off the game with a two run lead after Taylor sent over her team leading eighth home run of the year for a 3-1 advantage in the bottom of the fourth. Lincoln Memorial scored one more in the sixth before scoring their two in the seventh that sent the game into extras.

Mirabal and Hilbourn were each 2-for-4 from the batter's box with a double and a run scored. Taylor and Gatewood scored two runs a piece during the effort as well.
Taylor went all nine innings allowing six earned runs while tossing 169 pitches and striking out nine Lincoln Memorial batters.

The Wolves will take back to the diamond this Wednesday, March 30 as they host SAC opponent Anderson. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.