Newberry Baseball Beats Santa Fe in Rivalry Game

NEWBERRY — The Newberry Panthers defeated the Santa Fe Raiders 5-4 in a Tuesday night extra-inning baseball game.

The Panthers (8-4) took the lead early when junior Tavis Honeycutt drilled a two-run home run in the first inning, marking his seventh this season, with the other six coming in the first seven games. 

“I’m just glad he’s on my team and not another team,” Newberry coach Mike Spina said.

Honeycutt was intentionally walked the remaining two times he was at the plate.

The Raiders (4-9) responded with a two-RBI double by Cole Crevasse to match Newberry 2-2 in the second. 

The third inning brought in another run for the Panthers off zero hits. Junior Brody Joyner walked, advanced to third off a wild pitch and scored on a groundout from junior Aiden Michaux. 

Newberry senior pitcher Desmond Taylor was relieved by Memphis Hoffman in the fifth inning after walking  two. This was Taylor’s first game back after battling an injury earlier this season. He walked eight batters, struck out four and allowed three runs off three hits.

“He’s better than what he showed tonight. He’ll be ready to go next start,” Spina said.

Hoffman walked his first opponent to load the bases for the Raiders. Following the walk, he retired seven straight. The Panthers got out of the zero-out situation by allowing only one run on a flyout to tie the game 3-3. 

Scoreless sixth and seventh innings sent the game into an extra inning. 

Santa Fe scored one run off one hit and two walks in the eighth, but left two stranded for a 4-3 lead.

Newberry fought back with four hits in its eighth. Junior Koleby Benson led off with a double to right field. He scored off senior Trey Priester’s single to tie the game. 

Junior Brycen Ochs then reached on an error and a wild pitch sent Priester to third base. Joyner’s walk-off single racked in the win for the Panthers.

“It felt amazing, man,” Joyner said.

He went 2-for-3 with one walk, scored two runs and had an RBI.

“We kept battling,” Spina said. “And that’s the name of the game, we’ve got to keep competing.”

Newberry is looking for its third straight win in another home game Thursday against Live Oak Suwannee (5-7) at 7 p.m.

“We just gotta keep working,” Spina said.

Category: Baseball, Gainesville, High School Sports, Newberry High School, Santa Fe High School