NEWBERRY — Pfeiffer upended Newberry in extra innings for the second time this season, snapping a five-game Wolves’ winning streak with an unearned run in the 10th inning to come away with a 10-9 win in Wednesday evening’s back-and-forth affair.
Newberry (17-13) jumped ahead with a four-run first inning, but Pfeiffer (12-15) battled back by scoring in six of the game’s 10 frames to steadily apply pressure and overtake the Wolves. The teams combined to use 12 total pitchers, with five spending time in line for a win and six for a loss throughout the course of the game.
The Falcons scored the go-ahead run off Tristan Smaltz in the final frame. Right fielder Jordan Eckard reached on a fielding error and came around to score four pitches later on an RBI triple by first baseman Tanner Mathis. Mathis was lifted in favor of a pinch runner, whom Jeff Sneed promptly picked off on the first pitch, but the damage was done.
Newberry went quietly in the ninth as Xavier Rodriguez, who began the game in center field for the Falcons, closed out his first win of the season on the mound. Rodriguez allowed just one hit over the final 2.1 innings and struck out five batters. Smaltz was the hard-luck loser, falling to 1-1 on the season without allowing an earned run.
The game started in impressive fashion for the Newberry offense. Derek Olenchuk’s RBI single brought Danton Hyman to the plate for the game’s first run before the Newberry hitters began to flex their muscles.
A Daymon Totherow walk put runners on first and second for Trejon Smith, whose third triple of the season brought both Wolves home. O’Kevius Conway followed with a booming triple over the head of Rodriguez in center two batters later to stretch the lead to four runs.
Hyman had the most impressive day of any Newberry hitter. The sophomore Mid-Carolina High School product went 3-for-5 with two walks, two RBI’s, and two runs scored. Olenchuk’s two-hit day gave the pair half of Newberry’s 10 hits on the evening.
Pfeiffer was led by Zach Scudder’s 5-for-5 performance. The third baseman batted in a run and scored four more. Left fielder Kirby Lambert went 3-for-5 with three RBI’s and a run.