NEWBERRY, S.C. – Needing to go the distance in the final game of the series, the Newberry College (3-0) baseball team was able to secure the three-game sweep of the Jaguars of Augusta University off the bat of freshman Hunter French (Minneola, Fla.) who gave the Wolves the 9-8 win in the third game on Saturday, February 5 at the Smith Road Complex.
Redshirt-junior Braylin Marine (Freeport, N.Y.) went six-for-eight on the afternoon while crossing the plate three times himself. Sophomore Jacob LeBron (Lexington, S.C.) turned in a trio of RBIs while freshman Jomar Lugo (San Sebastian, P.R.) pitched in a pair. Redshirt-senior Zane Tarrance (Odessa, Fla.) and French each recorded a pair of RBIs as well.
Freshman Scott Templeton (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) picked up his first collegiate win after pitching two and a third innings in the opening contest of the day while sophomore Johnathan White (Simpsonville, S.C.) picked up his second win of the weekend in the late game. Redshirt-sophomore Tyler Tuck (Liberty, S.C.) picked up a save in the early game.
After giving up a homerun in the opening frame of the first game, the Wolves responded in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of runs with two outs on the board to take the early 2-1 lead. The Jags pulled back even in the second inning posting a single run, but the Wolves would answer again in the bottom of the inning as they were able to scratch across a pair of runs, with some help from a defensive miscue by the Jags defense to extend their lead to two at 4-2.
Newberry added another run in the bottom of the third as Marine found his way around the bags off a lead-off single and a stolen base to set him up to be driven in by redshirt-sophomore Henry Gibson (Walterboro, S.C.) to bring the margin to 5-2. A similar order of events in the bottom of the fifth from freshman Donovan Ford (Greenville, S.C.) plated another run for the Wolves.
They truly opened the floodgates in the bottom of the fifth as the Wolves were able to put four runs on the board in the frame to extend their lead out to 10-2. Augusta would start to claw back into the contest in the top of the seventh as they brough three runs around the bags and then added another pair in the top of the eighth before Tuck would come into the contest and shut them down the rest of the way, securing the save and the 10-7 win.
In the second game, the Wolves carried the momentum from the opening contest into the first inning as they were able to retire the Jags in order in the top of the first before posting a pair of runs on the board off a wild pitch and an RBI double from graduate student Beau Thompson (Pickens, S.C.) to take the early 2-0 lead. Newberry again added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning this time of a two-RBI single by Tarrance to extend their lead out to four.
However, Augusta would not go away in the contest as they took only their second lead of the day in the top of the fourth inning as they were able to put up a five spot in the frame to take over the 5-4 advantage. Resiliency showed in the Wolves dugout as well as they were able to respond in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of their own, including Marine stealing home to give the Wolves the 6-5 lead. Each team would post a run in the fifth inning, keeping the one-run advantage on the bottom half of the score line.
With two outs in the top of the seventh in their last chance, the Jags were able to plate two runs and swing the lead back to their side heading into the bottom half, 8-7. A lead-off walk and a hit by Tarrance left two runners in scoring position and forced the Jags to intentionally load the bags to draw the force play. However, they would never be able to make a play as French would step into the box and drive a liner to left centerfield that brought around two runs for the Wolves and wrapped up the 8-7 win.
The Wolves keep their five game homestand going as they welcome in the Bobcats of Georgia College to the Smith Road Complex on Wednesday, February 9. First pitch is set for 5:00 p.m.
