WINGATE, N.C. – In the final game of the day at the South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship's Wingate site, the No. 4 seeded Newberry College Softball (29-18, 14-10 SAC) defeated the No. 8 seeded Anderson Trojans 5-4, keeping the Wolves' hopes of securing the conference championship alive.
Junior
Olivia Chestnut (Mount Dora, Fla.) received the win for her complete-game, seven-inning performance against the Trojans. Friday's victory was her second complete game victory over the Trojans this season. Sophomore designated player
Mackenzie Turner (Jefferson, Ga.) recorded all 4 of the Wolves' RBIs and went 3-for-4 at the plate. Additionally,
Yahaira Williams (Key West, Fla.), who scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, was pinch running for Turner.
After giving up 1 run in the top of the first, Turner drove in 2 runs to take the lead with a one-out 2-RBI double in the bottom of the first inning.
The Trojans answered with 2 runs of their own in the top of the second with an RBI double and a runner that reached by an error. Each play brought in one run and the Wolves trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the second inning.
But it wasn't until the bottom of the third inning, following a lead-off single from junior first baseman
Sierra Brogdon (Leesburg, Ga.) that Turner gave the Wolves another lead. She hit a 2-run shot behind the right field fence and the Wolves led 4-3.
That lead held until the Trojans tied the game 4-4 with a solo shot in the top of the sixth inning.
But the Wolves had the final say as junior third baseman
Hailey Hill (Summerville, S.C.) hit a single to the Trojans' second baseman who missed their first baseman with her throw, allowing Williams to come around and score the game-ending run. The Wolves took the win-or-go-home game 5-4 and sent Anderson packing back to the Palmetto State.
With the victory in the rear view mirror, the Wolves kick off action tomorrow, April 28 at 10 A.M. against No. 5 seeded Carson-Newman. The winner of that game takes on No. 1 seeded Wingate at 12:30 P.M. Should the team from the losers' bracket win the 12:30-P.M. game, a winner-take-all 3-P.M. game will be played between the two remaining teams.