NEWBERRY - In a pair of low scoring duels, the Newberry softball team split a Sunday doubleheader with the visiting USC Aiken Pacers at the Smith Road Complex.

Junior Brittany Middleton (Lizella, Ga.) outdueled Taylor Morgan in game two of the doubleheader, while junior Gabby Bedard (Winder, Ga.) led Newberry at the plate with three hits on the afternoon.

Newberry's record moves to 7-2, while the Pacers record now sits at 5-1.

The Wolves travel to Florence on Wednesday for a doubleheader against Francis Marion with first pitch set for 3 p.m.

Game One: USC Aiken 1, Newberry 0
[Box Score]

Bedard led Newberry at the plate with two hits, while sophomore Hannah Blakley (Manning, S.C.) struck out three in a 1-0 game one loss to the Pacers.

Newberry recorded the first hit of the day in the bottom of the first as Bedard singled on a bunt, but was left stranded as the Pacers recorded the third out of the inning shortly after Bedard reached base.

The Newberry defense was on display in the second inning as freshman Hailey Drawe (Oceanside, Calif.), senior Leah Hosking (Williamston, Mich.), junior Casey Nellums (Duluth, Ga.) and senior Danielle Basch (Muskegon, Mich.) combined for an inning ending double play.

Neither team was able to get their offense going, as the two sides scattered only six total hits in the opening six innings of the afternoon. It wasn't until the top of the seventh that the score column was altered for either team.

USC Aiken's lone run of the first game came in the top of the seventh when Ashley Metts hit the second pitch of the frame over the fence in right center. Metts' homer in the seventh sparked a four hit inning for the Pacers, but Newberry stymied the offense before the Pacers defense shutdown the Wolves in the bottom of the frame to earn the win.

Blakely finished the opening game with three strikeouts, while forcing 10 groundouts on the afternoon.

Game Two: Newberry 2, USC Aiken 1
[Box Score]

Newberry executed small ball in the bottom of the seventh in the second game of the afternoon to top USC Aiken 2-1, while Middleton saw her pitching record improve to 5-0.

Middleton found herself in a pitcher's duel with Morgan as neither team was able to string together enough base runners to push across a run over the first five innings.

The fifth inning looked like it would see the first run of the game as the Pacers' Kaitlyn White reached on an infield single. The following batter reached on a fielding error as a ground ball from Madison Labrador squirted into the outfield. White tried to score on the play, but was thrown out at the plate as Bedard and senior Jennifer Yancey (Dunwoody, Ga.) combined for the assist on freshman Madison Tepfenhart's (York, Pa.) putout. Newberry escaped the fifth as Victoria Burkett grounded out to short to end the inning.

It was in the top of the sixth that USC Aiken would score the game's first run, as pinch runner Brielle Jungblut scored an unearned run.

Newberry was unable to answer in the bottom of the frame, but was given an opportunity in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitting sophomore Lanier Paul (Buford, Ga.) hit a fly ball to right field, which was dropped by the Pacers' outfielder. Paul was able to reach third on the error, before being subbed out for sophomore pinch runner Katelyn Rearden (Trenton, S.C.).

Yancey stepped to the plate and delivered a squeeze bunt to plate Rearden, before Yancey would advance to second on the throw to the plate. Junior Ashlen Ayres (Kennewick, Wash.) followed Yancey with a sacrifice bunt, which saw Yancey move to third.

With one out and Yancey on third, senior Katie Capobianco (Coconut Creek, Fla.) executed the second squeeze bunt of the inning to plate Yancey and win the game for the Wolves.

Middleton struck out one as she finished the day without having an earned run cross the plate.