NEWBERRY – A Paige Meyer walk-off single highlighted a sweep over Belmont Abbey as the Wolves defeated the visiting Crusaders by scores of 5-4 and 6-2.
Meyer's infield hit provided the final margin of Newberry's Game One victory after the Wolves (20-12) entered the inning trailing Belmont Abbey (10-24) by a run. McKenzie Barneycastle, Tori Caldwell, and Natalie Willis began the seventh inning with singles before pinch hitter Chelsey Cunningham was hit by a pitch to drive in the first run.
After a strikeout, Caldwell worked the count to 2-1 and smacked a slow roller to the shortstop from the left-handed batter's box. The Crusaders had no play on the perfectly-placed ball as Caldwell slid into the plate to give Newberry the dramatic win.
The seventh-inning heroics improved Emily Marchbanks' record to 8-2. The Wolves' starter pitched a complete game, giving up six hits and four runs, two of which were unearned.
The Crusaders jumped in front with three runs in the second inning, two of which were unearned. Newberry battled back with single runs in the third, fourth, and sixth frames to even the score at three to set off the game-deciding sequence in the seventh.
Willis led all players with three hits in the game and added a second-inning RBI. Barneycastle also had a multi-hit game for Newberry, going 2-for-3 and scoring a pair of runs. Six Crusaders tallied one hit apiece.
Newberry used its momentum from the first game to take a decisive 6-2 win in the second. The Wolves scored two runs in each of the first three innings and nearly scored even more, leaving the bases loaded in the first two frames.
Meyer laced a two-run single through the right side to kick off the scoring in the first inning and added an RBI groundout in the second. She would finish with two hits in the game. Much like the first game, Cunningham drove in a run by being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Myranda Dills provided both runs in the third inning on her first home run of the season, lifting a ball over the left field fence on an 0-1 offering to push the lead to six runs. The Wolves were held off the scoreboard the rest of the way but had all the insurance they would need in the Game Two victory.
Alyssa Ball moved to 8-7 on the season with a complete-game victory and lowered her ERA to 2.43 by not giving up an earned run in the contest. She allowed six hits and did not walk a batter in her seven innings in the circle.
Newberry welcomes Wingate to the Smith Road Complex for a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader beginning Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.
