NEWBERRY, S.C. - On the strength of 24 hits, including four home runs, the Anderson softball team opened its final four-game road swing of the regular season by powering past Newberry, 9-4 and 12-1, Wednesday afternoon at the Wolves' Smith Road Complex.

Anderson (35-9, 12-4 SAC), which has clinched at least the third seed in next week's conference tournament, has won four straight and edged one game ahead of Tusculum in the battle for the regular-season title.

Newberry slipped to 15-23 overall and 3-13 in the league and was eliminated from contention for a SAC Tournament berth, while dropping its 10th consecutive contest.

Game #1
Anderson 9, Newberry 4

Junior Danielle Swygert blasted a second-inning grand slam, her seventh homer of the season, over the fence in right-center, while catcher Laura Jansky added a double and an RBI-single in four trips to the plate. Junior pitcher Bailey Smith was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while junior Abby Child notched her team-leading eighth home run of the season in the fifth inning and scored twice.

Smith (16-5) tossed her 21st complete game of the season, as the right-hander surrendered four runs (two earned) on seven hits and struck out four while issuing one walk. Senior Kaylyn Camacho (7-11) took the loss for Newberry, as she gave up seven earned runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. She walked seven and struck out three.

Anderson took the lead with a run in the first inning and never trailed, adding four more runs in the second frame on Swygert's grand slam.

Newberry countered with a pair of unearned runs in the third inning to trim AU's lead to 5-2, but the Trojans answered with two runs in the fifth - one coming off the bat of Abby Child as she lifted the ball beyond the left-field fence. Sieber drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to score the additional run and push AU's lead to 7-2.

Anderson added a pair of runs in the seventh inning, as did the Wolves to set the final score.

Game #2
Anderson 12, Newberry 1

Abby Child was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and reached base five times in the nightcap, with a pair of doubles, two walks and a single. The junior shortstop extended her hitting streak to five games. Sophomore Jessica Neidigh added three singles in five at-bats and scored twice. Swygert was 2-for-4 and recorded her third home run in as many games with a solo shot to center in the sixth inning. The first baseman has driven in 11 runs in the last four contests. Molly Child was 2-for-4, including a three-run homer in the fifth - her seventh of the campaign. Jansky stretched her hitting streak to eight games with a double in the seventh inning.

Anderson junior Lauren Bell (19-4) posted her 22nd complete game, scattering eight hits and surrendering just one earned run. She struck out three and walked three.

Newberry senior Shelley Jeffcoat took the loss after giving up six earned runs on 10 hits in six full innings. She also struck out three and walked three.

Newberry took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when sophomore Gabby Bedard scored on Amelia Putnam's one-out single.

Jeffcoat held AU to just three hits through the first four frames, but the Trojans erupted for all 12 runs in the final three innings, including five in the decisive fifth inning, while batting through the order.

Neidigh led off the inning with an infield single and after stealing her 17th consecutive base of the season, crossed the plate when Swygert's pulled a double to right. Abby Child followed with another double and Molly Child's three-run homer gave AU a 4-0 advantage. Smith tripled with two outs and Samantha Young brought her home with a single.

Anderson sent 12 batters to the plate in the top of the seventh and put the game out of reach by plating six additional runs, with Abby Child's three-run double scoring Swygert, Neidigh and Charlotte Sieber.

Anderson wraps up its conference slate with a doubleheader at Tusculum on Saturday. First-pitch versus the Pioneers is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Greeneville, Tenn. The Trojans close out the regular season by playing host to Erskine on Monday.