Cobras Drop Pivotal SAC Doubleheader to Newberry
The Coker College softball team dropped two games to Newberry on Wednesday.
HARSTVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College softball team fell to the Newberry College Wolves on Wednesday (Apr. 19) in a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader.
In game one, Newberry used a two-run third inning and a five-run fifth inning to take a 7-0 lead after five innings. Three-straight base hits by Kelsi Bachmann, Cacey Simmons and Hannah Price plated two runs for the Cobras in the bottom of the sixth, however, it would not be enough as Newberry took game one by a score of 8-2.
Bachmann, Simmons and Price all went 2-for-4, with Simmons and Price plating RBI.
In the circle, Nikki Linthicum was hit with the loss. She allowed one earned run in four innings.
In game two, it was Newberry scoring three runs in the third inning to take an early 3-0 lead. However, the Coker bats came alive in the bottom half of the third inning, which began with an infield single by Bachmann. After a walk by Simmons and Tayler Barcomb being hit by a pitch, Maria Williamson drove a long ball to deep left-center field for a grand slam, giving the Cobras the 4-3 advantage. The Cobras were not done there, as Augusta Jackson and Lilli Otten doubled to put Coker ahead 5-3. Courtney Boan reached on a throwing error, which scored Otten to extend the lead to 6-3. Bachmann capped off the seven-run inning with a single up the middle, scoring Boan. Newberry responded with runs in the fifth and sixth inning to close the deficit to 7-5. Maria Williamson came up big again for the Navy and Gold, singling down the right field line, scoring two runs and extending the Coker lead to 9-5 going into the final frame. The Newberry bats came alive in the seventh, scoring six runs on six hits to take an 11-9 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. After a walk by Bachmann and singles by Simmons and Price, the Cobras had bases loaded with one out. An illegal pitch scored Bachmann from third, closing the deficit for the Cobras to 11-10. However, the Navy and Gold went down quietly to close the seventh, giving the Wolves the 11-10 win in game two.
Six Cobras had multi-hit games in game two, led by the 2-for-5, six-RBI game by Maria Williamson. Mindy North and Simmons each went 3-for-4, while Bachmann, Price and Tayler Barcomb all went 2-for-4.
Linthicum was hit with the loss in game two. She allowed five earned runs in one inning of relief.
The Cobras will close the 2017 regular season on Saturday (Apr. 22) when they travel to Mars Hill for a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader.