NEWBERRY – The Newberry softball team earned the sweep over non-conference foe UNC-Pembroke on Saturday evening winning the first game, 7-2, and the second game, 5-4.
The Wolves move to 15-3 overall while UNC-Pembroke drops to 8-10.
Game One (Newberry wins 7-2 vs. UNC-Pembroke)
The Wolves scored three runs in the first inning to pave the way for the win in the first game of the doubleheader.
Newberry loaded the bases to begin the game as
Paige Meyer reached on an error by the shortstop. McKenzie was then walked followed by a bunt single from
Natalie Willis.
Haley Simonds drove in Meyer on a sacrifice fly to center field. The Wolves loaded the bases once again after
Chelsey Cunningham was walked bringing up
Reagan Glanz. The freshman singled to center field, scoring both Willis and Barneycastle in the process.
The Braves would respond with their only two runs of the game in the bottom half of the inning. From there the Wolves would add two runs on a double from Simonds in the second.
Cunningham recorded a RBI double in the fourth inning to extend Newberry's lead to 6-2, and then added the insurance run in the sixth on a single to left field to score the speedy
Tori Caldwell.
Alyssa Ball had yet another great outing in the circle for the Wolves as the sophomore pitched a complete game, picking up her seventh win on the season in the process.
Simonds finished with three RBIs on one hit while Cunningham ended with two RBIs on two hits. Glanz also added two RBIs on one hit. Willis recorded two hits and had two stolen bases as she scored three runs for the Wolves.
Game Two (Newberry wins 5-4 vs. UNC-Pembroke)
Newberry began the second game much like the first as they scored three runs in the first and never looked back.
Meyer led off the game with a single to left field. Meyer would easily score after stealing second when Willis tripled to right center. Simonds took a four pitch walk to reach on base.
Cunningham hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Willis for Newberry's second run of the game.
Hannah Davis then doubled down the left field line, putting two runners in scoring position.
Tori Caldwell would record an RBI after she reached safely on an error by the shortstop.
Newberry would continue the scoring in the second inning as
Ashley Willis reached on another error by the Braves shortstop. A single provided by the senior Willis would score her sister A. Willis, pushing the Wolves to a 4-0 lead.
UNC-Pembroke would break starting pitcher
Selice Daley's bid for a no-hitter in the fourth as the Braves scored only one run despite loading the bases.
The next inning Newberry would push the margin back to four on Meyer's sacrifice fly, scoring Caldwell.
A three-run homer by the Braves would put the Wolves up 5-4 in the sixth.
Daley's day would come to an end after the homer as the ace would finish with eight strikeouts in only five innings of work. Cunningham would replace Daley forcing two groundouts and striking out a batter to escape the inning.
Cunningham would pick up the save after forcing the Braves into three groundouts in the seventh inning to end the game.
Daley picked up her fifth win as she finished with five or more strikeouts in a game for the eighth time this season.
Willis finished with three hits and two RBIs while Meyer finished with two hits and one RBI.
Up Next:
Newberry will host Saginaw Valley State in a doubleheader on Monday, March 4th starting at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Smith Road Complex.
