Newberry Baseball Defeats P.K. Yonge for Seventh Straight Win

Newberry baseball defeated P.K. Yonge for the second time this season Friday night. This 20-3 win marks the seventh straight for the Panthers (15-5) and fourth this week. 

Newberry took the lead early with junior Florida commit Tavis Honeycutt’s two-run home run, his 13th of the season, in the first inning, driving in junior Brycen Ochs, who had singled. 

The visiting Panthers racked up four runs off two hits and four walks in the third for a 6-0 lead. A single from senior Desmond Taylor and Honeycutt being intentionally walked put two on base for junior Aiden Michaux, who drilled a double that helped score Taylor and Honeycutt. 

Michaux earned the next two bases off flyouts from senior Trey Priester and junior Koleby Benson. Sophomore Brantley McCoy scored the fourth run by making it across the diamond without a hit. He walked, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout and went home on a wild pitch.

P.K. Yonge (12-7) notched two runs off two hits in the third inning to make it a 6-2 game. The Blue Wave trailed the Panthers the entire game. 

Newberry was held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. P.K. Yonge attempted to close the gap by tallying on another run in the fifth. 

The sixth inning was the quiet before the storm.

The Panthers pounded to a 20-3 lead in the seventh inning, even with Honeycutt being intentionally walked for the third time in the game. 

The runs were practically pouring in. They had seven runs off five hits before posting the first out of the inning. Blue Wave sophomore pitcher Noah Grogan allowed two walks and hit one before being relieved by junior Sean Hudson, but it didn’t slow down Newberry. Panthers senior Lucas Delker went on to smash his first career grand slam.

“I told myself I was going to hit a bomb and I did,” Delker said.

The Blue Wave couldn’t get a hit to respond in the bottom of the inning.

Newberry heads into the final four games of the regular season. The Panthers host the Columbia Tigers (12-6) on Tuesday, a team which beat NHS 8-1 on March 3 in Lake City.

“We need to peak. We need to be ready to go for district. We need to be firing on all cylinders — hitting, throwing strikes and playing good defense,” Newberry coach Mike Spina said.

Category: Baseball, Gainesville, High School Sports, Newberry High School, PK Yonge High School