SALISBURY, N.C. – The Wolves softball team dropped a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader Friday, falling to the Catawba Indians 5-4 in the first game and 8-7 in a second game that required eight innings. The Wolves are now 15-10 this season, with a 6-8 record in SAC play.

Game One Catawba rallies late
Newberry struck right away, starting the game with a infield single off the bat of Paige Meyer. McKenzie Barneycastle then drew a walk before Hannah Towery was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Haley Simonds. She ripped a single into center field to score a pair of runs. The Wolves added one final run on an RBI double off the bat of Tedi Nunn to take a 3-0 lead. Catawba nearly scored a run in the bottom of the frame, but their runner who tried scoring from second on a single was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Indians started to slowly claw their way back into things, scoring a run in the second and third innings. Hailey Hill led off the fourth inning for the Wolves with her fourth home run of the season, putting the ball over the left field fence to make it a 4-2 lead for the Wolves. It took just one pitch in the bottom of the fifth for Catawba to tie the game, as their second batter of the inning hit a two-run home run. They would score the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth to take the first game 5-4.

Game Two: Wolves fall in extras
After neither team was able to score in the first, the Wolves took the lead in the top of the second, scoring a pair of runs on three hits. Hill was the first batter of the inning and was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Nunn hit a single into center field, putting runners on first and second for Reagan Glanz, who singled into right field, loading the bases. Barneycastle them hit a infield single, resulting in a pair of runs scoring as Nunn and Hill both crossed the plate to give the Wolves a 2-0 lead.

The Indians scored in their half of the second before adding another run in the fourth to tie the game. In the fifth it was Newberry who again scored a pair of runs, using three hits and one Catawba error to score. After Meyer led off with a sharp single into left field, Barneycastle hit a ground ball to the pitcher, who committed an error, putting runners on first and second. Sierra Brogdon hit a bunt single to load the bases for Simonds, who hit into a double play, though a run did score to give Newberry the 3-2 lead. Towery then hit a single into center field to score Barneycastle and pad the Newberry lead.

After Catawba again tied the game, the Wolves scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, including an RBI single from Simonds and an RBI groundout off the bat of Tori Rose, but the Indians didn't go down quietly, scoring two runs in their half of the inning to send the game into the eighth inning. In Newberry's half of the inning Glanz hit a one-out single into center field to score Vanessa Wilson, but Catawba scored two in their half of the inning to pick up the walk-off win.

Inside the Boxscore

• Towery is leading the team in multiple offensive categories, including batting average (.411), doubles (8) and home runs (9). She has driven in 23 runs this season, which is second to Meyer, who has 24 RBI. Barneycastle is batting .400 this season, with a pair of doubles and a triple.
• Nunn now has a four-game hit streak, which is her longest of the season. The longest hit streak on the team this season is from Barneycastle, who hit in 14 consecutive games earlier this season. Nunn has also reached base in 11 consecutive games.

Up Next
The Wolves will take on Coker Wednesday in a SAC doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.