NEWBERRY – The Newberry College softball team put the brakes on a losing skid with a pair of walkoff wins against the Claflin Lady Panthers in frigid conditions on Sunday. The Wolves took a 4-3 victory in the opening game before snagging a 9-1 contest in the nightcap.

The Wolves move back to .500 (5-5 overall) on the season with the sweep, while handing Claflin (4-2) its first losses of the season. Newberry is scheduled to play at USC Aiken on Tuesday. Any schedule changes due to the incoming winter weather will be announced on www.NewberryWolves.com and our various social media outlets.

Game One: Newberry 4, Claflin 3
The Wolves recovered from a pair of Lady Panther homeruns and freshman Nicolette Myers (Seminole, Fla.) drove in the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Starting pitcher Madison Burnett (Pickens, S.C.; 3-1) was perfect the first time through the order and she benefitted from three unearned runs in the bottom of the second inning.

Newberry was able to get runners on base in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Claflin starter Nyesha Arnold was able to escape those jams.

Claflin’s Chelsea Hall led off the fourth inning with a solo homer to left field and tied up the game in the sixth with a two-run homer down the left field line. With a runner on second and two out, Markea Sheppard blasted a long drive to centerfield, but the Lady Panthers’ Courtney Burns was unable to cross home plate before Sheppard was tagged out at second, denying the guests the lead.

Cassie Harrell (Williamston, N.C.) led off the bottom of the seventh with a hard-hit single and advanced to second on a pinch-hit single by Gabby Bedard (Winder, Ga.). Casey Nellums (Duluth, Ga.) reached on an error and Myers’ hard-hit single through the infield brought home the winning run.

Burnett allowed three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. Harrell scored twice, while Mallory Gerndt (Burke, Va.) reach safely twice.

Game Two: Newberry 9, Claflin 1 (6 innings)
Senior pitcher Brittany Middleton (Lizella, Ga.; 1-3) allowed unearned run and only six baserunners, as the Wolves finished off the sweep with a four-run sixth inning.

A Claflin baserunning mistake could have ended the first inning, but a wild throw allowed a runner to score and give the guests an early 1-0 lead.

The Wolves tied the game in the second inning when Nellums reached on an error and drove in a run. Newberry took the lead in the third on a two-run double by Ashlen Ayres (Kennewick, Wash.) and an RBI single by Drawe.

Gerndt hit an RBI single in the fourth to make it a 5-1 game and the Wolves put the contest away in the bottom of the sixth.

Pinch hitter Ann Dee Priest (Douglasville, Ga.) led off with a double and consecutive singles from Nellums and Tori Zambrano (Othello, Wash.) loaded the bases. Sam Robillard (Zillah, Wash.) plated two with a double off the centerfield fence and Lanier Paul (Buford, Ga.) and Bedard brought home runs with groundouts to bring the contest to an early end.

Drawe was 3-for-3 in the game with an RBI and a run scored.