MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Junior Gunnar Erickson (Chapin, S.C.) picked up his first win of the year on the mound while sophomore Trevor Linaman (Wellford, S.C.) notched his first save of the season as the Newberry College (8-3) baseball team took home a 7-4 win over the Bobcats of Georgia College on Wednesday, February 22.
Erickson tossed three innings of scoreless baseball in relief while Linaman threw two and a third innings, striking out a trio along the way to pick up the save. Sophomore Jonathan Velez (Mayaguez, P.R.) led the team with a trio of RBIs in the contest as he went 3-for-5 at the dish in the game. Freshman John Allen Forrester (West Columbia, S.C.) recorded a pair of RBIs as well in his three hits while senior Joe LaFiora (Philadelphia, Pa.) notched one as well.
The two teams traded scoreless innings to kick off the day but the Wolves were able to jump ahead in the top of the second as they posted a pair of runs in the frame. Junior Henry Gibson (Walterboro, S.C.) knocked a single to the pitcher to start the inning as was moved into scoring position one batter later. Forrester recorded his first RBI of the day with a double to left field that plated the first run of the day while a defensive miscue brought him around to home and gave Newberry the 2-0 lead.
The Wolves continued to expand their lead in the top of the third as they were able to plate a pair of runs with two outs on the board. Senior Braylin Marine (Freeport, N.Y.) got the ball rolling this time with a double to left field and would move to third with a stolen base. A walk followed by back-to-back single by Velez and Forrester brought around a pair of runs, bringing the Wolve advantage to four.
Georgia College was able to tie the game up in the bottom of the frame however as they posted four runs of their own to pull back even. Though the Wolves would load the bases in the fourth, it wouldn't be till the top of the fifth that they were able to plate the eventual game-winner. A trio of singles to start of the frame, capped off by an RBI-single by LaFiora brought the lead back to 5-4. Velez recorded a pair of RBIs in the top of the sixth, giving the Wolves two more runs on the day, but would be kept off the board the rest of the way, picking up the 7-4 win.
The Wolves return to the Smith Road Complex this weekend for a four-game, three-day series with Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The series kicks off with a single game on Friday, February 24 with a 6:00 p.m. first pitch.
