AIKEN, S.C. – Looking to carry their momentum of the Sunday series into the new week, the Newberry College (4-2) baseball team fell just short of that goal as they dropped a 5-3 decision to the Pacers of USC Aiken (4-2) on Monday, February 13.

Junior Henry Gibson (Walterboro, S.C.) again led the Wolves with a pair of RBIs on the day as he would plate the only two runs for the Wolves on the day with a ball in play. Sophomore Donovan Ford (Greenville, S.C.) posted two hits on the day and scored a run while senior Braylin Marine (Freeport, N.Y.) and junior Rhett Jolly (Edgefield, S.C.) also recorded hits in the contest.

Both teams went scoreless in the opening frame of action but it would be the Pacers who struck first in the game as they were able to post a pair of runs in the bottom of the second with a pair of home runs to give them the 2-0 lead. Another few scoreless innings would pass by before the Wolves were able to close the gap to one run in the top of the fifth inning.

Jolly got the inning started with a single to the shortstop before being moved over by a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Jomar Lugo (San Sebastian, P.R.) to move him into scoring position. A pair of wild pitches by the Pacers pitching staff in the next at bat allowed Jolly to trot the final distance home and make the score 2-1.

However, the bottom of the sixth inning would prove to be the eventual difference maker as the Pacers were able to add a trio of runs to their total to take the 5-1 lead. Newberry responded with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to try and level the score as Gibson would record his two RBIs with a single up the middle bringing the margin to two at 5-3.  The Wolves were unable to find their bats again in the top of the ninth as they ended up dropping the game by that same margin.

Newberry returns to action on Wednesday, February 15 as they welcome the Warriors of Southern Wesleyan to the Smith Road Complex for a non-conference contest with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch.