HARTSVILLE - The fifth-seeded Newberry College Wolves put up five runs in the top of the sixth inning to earn a 6-4 win over the fourth-seeded Wingate University Bulldogs in the opening round of the 2015 South Atlantic Conference softball tournament at Byerly Park on Thursday evening.

Newberry moved to 30-20 overall on the season, picking up a win in the Wolves' first SAC Tournament appearance since 2010. The scarlet and gray advance to the quarterfinals of the winners' bracket, taking on No. 1 Carson-Newman at 12:30 p.m. Friday.

Wingate jumped on the Wolves early, loading the bases in three of the first four innings. WU's Emily Usiak hit a two-run single in the first inning and a bases loaded walk to SAC Player of the Year Alexis Burrell in the second inning put the higher seed up by a 3-0 margin early.

The 'Dogs looked to push the lead further in the fourth inning, loading the bases with none out. Pitcher Brittany Middleton (Lizella, Ga.) then induced a fielder's choice at the plate, an infield fly and a groundout to end the inning with no damage.

Cassie Harrell (Williamston, N.C.) started Newberry's offense with two outs in the top of the fifth, blasting her third homerun of the season to left field, cutting the lead to 3-1.

The Wolves turned the offense on in the top of the sixth, with an RBI single by Ann Dee Priest (Douglasville, Ga.) and a bases loaded hit by pitch drawn by Allison Van Atta (Tallahassee, Fla.) tied the score.

Maude McCourry (Centreville, Md.) gave the Wolves the lead with a two-run single and a Harrell RBI single added an insurance run, making it a 6-3 advantage to the scarlet and gray.

Pitcher Middleton starting an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the sixth before the Bulldogs threatened to tie the game up in the last half of the seventh.

Burrell led off the bottom of the seventh and blasted a ball to the fence, where right fielder Mallory Gerndt (Burke, Va.) nearly made a spectacular diving catch before the fence dislodged the ball for a triple. An Usiak single cut the lead to 6-4 and a double by Katie McLaurin put the tying runs in scoring position and the winning run at the plate with none out.

Middleton buckled down again, forcing the Bulldogs to fly out to left field three times in succession to end the game.

Middleton moved her record to 7-8 on the season, allowing one run on seven hits and a walk in 5.0 innings of relief.

Harrell went 2-for-3 in the ninth spot in the batting order for the Wolves' only multi-hit game. Jeri Loffler (Weeki Wachee, Fla.) reached base safely in all four trips to the plate, singling and being hit by a pitch three times.