NEWBERRY – A five-run explosion in the fourth inning and another lights-out performance from the Wolves' bullpen helped Newberry turn an early 2-0 deficit into a runaway 11-2 win over Lander.
The win gives Newberry (12-4) a season sweep over the Bearcats (8-8). The Wolves were 3-4 when they traveled to Dolny Stadium and rallied past Lander in 12 innings on Feb. 13. Newberry has not lost since, reeling off nine straight victories.
The Wolves now sport an 11-0 mark at home, establishing a new record for most consecutive home victories since the Smith Road Complex opened in 2008 and becoming Newberry's longest home winning streak since the advent of computerized records in 1998.
Lander scored a pair of runs in the third inning to break a scoreless tie, getting a solo home run off the bat of leadoff hitter Bailey Connell and plating an unearned run on a sacrifice fly with two in scoring position and nobody out. But despite a run scoring on the play, momentum shifted to Newberry because of a heads-up play by center fielder
Danton Hyman.
Hyman corralled the fly ball at medium depth in center field, then threw to shortstop
Peyton Spangler rather than attempt a long throw home. Spangler relayed the throw to
Aidan Baur, who tagged out the runner attempting to move from second to third. Starter
Ryan Harbin struck out shortstop Colton Yeager on three pitches, allowing Newberry to emerge relatively unscathed from Lander's most ominous offensive threat.
The Wolves took the lead in the fourth inning and never looked back. Newberry loaded the bases with two outs for Spangler, who had a bases-clearing double in a win over Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday. Spangler punched a line drive into center field that Lander's Josh Gregory attempted to play on a bounce, but the ball skipped away and rolled all the way to the fence. The two-run single and costly error allowed all four runs to score, with Spangler sliding in safely under a wild throw to the plate.
Three more singles, all with two outs, made the score 5-2 before the inning was over. Newberry plated single runs in the sixth and seventh before adding four runs on three hits in the eighth.
Harbin yielded to
Quinton Driggers after issuing a leadoff walk in the fourth. The junior left-hander was brilliant once again, twirling four hitless innings and adding three more strikeouts to his total. Driggers lowered his ERA to 1.27 and ran his record to 5-0 on the season, tying Carson-Newman's Greg Valentine for the lead in wins at any NCAA level.
Charlie Fessler and
Beau Thompson pitched an inning apiece to close out the win. The bullpen held Lander hitless for the final six innings, helping Newberry to a 13-4 advantage in the hits column.
Hyman led the Wolves with a 3-for-5 day and a pair of RBI's, raising his batting average to .413 for the season.
Zane Tarrance had a pair of hits and three RBI's, placing his average at .405, while
Nick Butler's two hits raised his to .429.
Newberry will seek a 12th straight home win and 10th overall when the Wolves host Southern Wesleyan Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m.
