MARS HILL, N.C. — In a pivotal South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Mars Hill, Jeff Sneed played the hero in Game One before ceding the role to Evan Estridge in Game Two as the Wolves swept the Lions to win the weekend series.
Sneed broke a 9-all tie in the top of the 10th when he blasted his first home run of the season to left field. Sneed’s one-out heroics provided all the cushion the Wolves would need as Mars Hill (16-17, 5-7 SAC) went down in order in the bottom of the frame to give Newberry a 10-9 win in a marathon four-hour, 29-minute affair.
The Wolves entered the ninth looking to have the game well in hand, but a leadoff home run spelled trouble for Newberry (19-14, 7-5 SAC). Mars Hill went on to score four runs in the inning but stranded the winning run 90 feet away when Hunter Hill set center fielder Daniel Vitello down on strikes. Hill, the sixth Newberry pitcher of the contest, went on to earn the win by pitching 1.1 innings in relief.
Mars Hill’s four-run ninth came in response to a four-run eighth inning by the Wolves. Sneed’s RBI single into left field and a sacrifice fly by Zach White coupled with a walk by Tyler White and Daymon Totherow being plunked by a pitch, both with the bases loaded, to extend Newberry’s lead. Newberry also notched five runs in the first, with Colin Allman’s bases-loaded, two-run single to center providing the biggest blow.
Sneed was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in and two scored. Derek Olenchuk also had an impressive outing at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a walk to drive in a run and score another. Seven of Newberry’s starters ended the contest with a hit as Newberry pounded out 14 in all.
After Newberry’s win in the high-scoring affair, the Wolves settled in behind Estridge to take a 2-0 win in Game Two. Estridge turned in the finest performance of his young career, throwing a complete-game three-hit shutout and striking out 11 Lions, more than double his previous career-high of five punchouts.
Estridge allowed just five baserunners, none of which reached past first base. Even when dealt adversity, such as when the leadoff hitter reached in the seventh and final inning on an error, Estridge was up to the challenge. He began the inning with a strikeout, induced a flyout, and got a groundout to strand the tying run at the plate and punctuate his tremendous afternoon.
Newberry moved ahead 1-0 in the second inning on a rally again started by Sneed. He walked to begin the inning and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Heads-up baserunning permitted him to advance to third on a flyout to right field before Allman’s double into right field gave Newberry the advantage.
The Wolves tacked on another run in the sixth inning, this time on a single into left center by Tyler White to double their advantage.
Newberry returns to action with a pair of nonconference games this week. The Wolves will host Augusta Tuesday night and Benedict on Wednesday at the Smith Road Complex. Both games begin at 6 p.m.
A day earlier, Newberry mounted a two-out, ninth-inning rally, but a spectacular play by Mars Hill right fielder Devin Mangum gave Mars Hill a 4-2 win over the Wolves in the opener of their three-game South Atlantic Conference series.