KODAK, TENN. – Needing to pick up a victory to stay alive in the 2022 South Atlantic Conference Tournament, the No. 15 Newberry College (38-12) baseball team did just that as they were able to pick up an 11-8 win over the Eagles of Carson-Newman University in their first elimination game of the weekend.
Sophomore Henry Gibson (Walterboro, S.C.) continued his impressive outing at the tournament as he was able to drive in three runs in the contest. Senior Zane Tarrance (Odessa, Fla.) knocked in a pair on the day while five other Wolves were each able to plate a run as well in the contest.
For the second straight day the starter for Newberry saw an early exit, but the bullpen would work the remainder of the contest and keep the Wolves in the game throughout. Junior Dylan Brazell (West Columbia, S.C.) picked up the win on the day as he provided two and a third innings for the Wolves, allowing just a pair of hits and a single run. Sophomore Wesley Livingston (Pomaria, S.C.) notched a pair of good innings as well while freshman Brad Brooks (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) earned the save, rounding out the action in the bottom of the ninth, allowing just one hit.
A single by Tarrance but the first runner on the bags for the Wolves before he would be driven in just two batters later with Gibson recording his first RBI of the day. Freshman Ben Freeman (Easley, S.C.) also pitched in an RBI in the opening frame and would round out the scoring in the top half of the inning with the Wolves leading 2-0. The Eagles however answered with just as many runs in the bottom half of the inning to bring the contest back level.
A trio of singles, including one of the RBI variety by Tarrance, would swing the lead back into Newberry's favor in the second before they were able to retire the side in order in the bottom half of the frame to keep hold of the 3-2 lead. They would add three more tallies on the scoreboard in the top of the third as a defensive miscue in the outfield allowed a pair of runs across with the third run coming across just one batter later to give them the 6-3 advantage following a solo shot from the Eagles in the bottom half of the inning.
Newberry would go scoreless in the fourth, but Carson-Newman was able to plate two runs in the frame to pull back to within one and would close that gap to zero in the bottom of the fifth with one more run on the scoreboard. However, the Wolves were able to respond with three runs in the top of the sixth inning to retake the lead for the last time in the contest. Back-to-back singles by Gibson and senior Beau Thompson (Pickens, S.C.) plated the three runs for the Wolves.
Newberry would add a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh with Tarrance and sophomore Jacob Lebron (Lexington, S.C.) recording RBIs to extend their lead out to 11-6. That margin would stay intact until the Eagles were able to load the bags and score one in the bottom of the ninth to close the gap to four. That's when Brooks would take the mound and immediately record all three outs through infield pop-flies to secure the final 11-8 decision for the Wolves.
Newberry will face the loser of the Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne in an elimination game starting at 2:45 on Sunday, May 1.
