NEWBERRY - The Wolves were unable to come away with a victory in two games Wednesday afternoon, suffering a pair of losses at the hands of Mars Hill on a blustery day at the Smith Road Complex.

With the losses, Newberry falls to 11-11 on the season and 0-4 in SAC play. The Lions improve to 11-5 and 4-0 in the conference, tied with Lenoir-Rhyne atop the standings. Newberry will return to action on Saturday, hosting Lenoir-Rhyne at 1 p.m.

Game One: Mars Hill 6, Newberry 1
[Box Score]

A disastrous fourth inning for the Wolves paved the way for Mars Hill to coast to a 6-1 victory in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader.

Newberry entered the inning with a one-run advantage. Gabby Bedard (Winder, Ga.) led off the game with an infield single, then was bunted into scoring position by Katie Capobianco (Coconut Creek, Fla.). Casey Nellums drilled an 0-2 pitch to right field to bring Bedard around to score. With the Wolves still clinging to their 1-0 advantage, the Lions' leadoff hitter walked, then advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and a wild pitch.

After a walk, a throwing error on a stolen base attempt plated the inning's first run. A fielding error scored another. The Lions would add two more unearned runs in the inning an RBI double and an RBI single. Newberry called upon freshman Hannah Blakley (Manning, S.C.) to get out of the jam, and she responded by coaxing a fly ball out of the first batter she faced to end the inning. Blakley would pitch 3.1 solid innings of relief.

Newberry was unable to mount a serious threat to score in the rest of the contest, while Mars Hill added two insurance runs in the sixth.

Bedard led the way for the Wolves, going 2-for-3 at the plate and scoring the team's only run. Kaylyn Camacho (Tampa, Fla.) took the loss to fall to 4-7 on the season, but allowed no earned runs and lowered her team-leading ERA to 1.73.

Game Two: Mars Hill 5, Newberry 0
[Box Score]

The Wolves' bats were stymied in the second game Wednesday afternoon, managing just two hits in a five-run loss.

Newberry managed to keep the game close through the early innings, but the fourth inning provided the Lions with the go-ahead runs for the second consecutive game.

Mars Hill broke a scoreless tie in the inning with two unearned runs after a one out walk, and added runs in the fifth and seventh innings to reach their final margin of victory.

The Lions' Taylor Hussey puzzled Newberry hitters all day. She pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three total baserunners on hits by Katie Capobianco and Leah Hosking (Williamston, Mich.) and a walk to Gabby Bedard.

Shelley Jeffcoat (Lexington, S.C.) suffered the loss for the Wolves, falling to 7-3 on the year. She scattered eight hits in her 6.1 innings pitched and allowed five runs, although only one was earned.