NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Newberry College (16-4, 3-1 SAC) baseball team posted their fourth straight double-digit run scored contest while eclipsing the 20-run mark for the second straight contest as they picked up a 22-9 win over the Lions of Mars Hill University in the first game of the weekend series at the Smith Road Complex on Friday, March 10.
Senior Braylin Marine (Freeport, N.Y.) had a night at the plate as he went 5-for-6 with five RBIs and scored four runs. Sophomore Jonathan Velez (Mayaguez, P.R.) was a perfect 3-for-3 with a trio of RBIs to his credit and scoring a pair of runs. Junior Rhett Jolly (Edgefield, S.C.) was the third and final Wolf to record a trio of RBIs in the contest while four others recorded a pair and two notched a single RBI on the night. Senior Joe LaFiora (Philadelphia, Pa.) picked up his second win of the season while tossing six innings, allowing just two runs while fanning five along the way.
After a three-up three-down inning to kick-off the evening, the Wolves went to work right away on the offensive side of the ball, posting seven runs in the opening frame. Sophomore Donovan Ford (Greenville, S.C.) started the contest off with a double down the left field line that the Wolves followed up with a single and a double to plate the first run of the frame. A hit batter and a bases loaded walk brought around the second run of the inning while the third crossed the plate on a fielder's choice. Jolly knocked a double to the gap in left center field to bring around two more runs for Newberry while a pair of back-to-back singles brought around the sixth and seventh runs of the inning, giving Newberry the 7-0 lead.
Mars Hill posted a single run on the board in the top of the second, but the Wolves added a pair to their tally in the bottom of the inning off RBIs from Velez and freshman John Allen Forrester (West Columbia, S.C.) to extend the advantage to 9-1. Another pair of runs found their way onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the third as Marine and junior Henry Gibson (Walterboro, S.C.) were each able to tally a RBI in the frame to bring the margin to 11-1.
The Lions held the Wolves to their first scoreless inning in the fourth after adding another run to their tally in the top of the inning. Marine recorded another RBI in the bottom of the fifth to score the lone run for the Wolves in the frame, bringing the score to 12-2 after five complete. Mars Hill would be the next to add runs to the scoreboard as they posted a pair in the top of the seventh, but it was the bottom of the frame where Newberry made their biggest dent of the night, plating a total of 10 runs.
After an inning opening error by the Lions, the Wolves were able to score those 10 runs on eight hits, two hit batters, one walk and a wild pitch. The scoring ended for the Wolves for the remainder of the evening but the Lions fought back in the top of the ninth with five runs before senior Bryce Peterson (Coon Rapids, Minn.) came in and was able to bring the game to a close with the Wolves taking the 22-9 win.
The two teams return to the diamond tomorrow, March 11 as they take part in a scheduled doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.
