The Buchholz softball team had Newberry circled on its calendar, especially after the Panthers won the first meeting, 6-3, in Newberry on Feb. 21.

For three innings on Tuesday, momentum appeared to be on the side of the host Bobcats, but one bad inning proved to be the difference in an 11-2 loss to visiting Newberry.

The Panthers batted around and scored eight runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a commanding 8-0 lead.

“It was a whole team effort,” said Newberry first-year coach Michele Roundtree. “They just played an overall really good game, and I was able to use everybody from start to finish on the roster, so I’m really proud of the way they played.”

Buchholz (7-2) got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the top of the first and had two double plays through the first two innings, but multiple errors helped lead to the big inning.

“We definitely didn’t play our best, no disrespect to Newberry,” said Buchholz coach Will Hooper. “Hats off to them. They are a phenomenal team…they came to play, and they definitely wanted it more than us. We felt confident coming into this game that we were going to be able to compete with them and come out on top, and we did for a little bit and then we had that one bad inning and it kind of felt like quicksand.”

The big inning was set up by a questionable call at first base.

In fact, it got overturned.

Newberry pitcher Madison Rodgers hit a ground ball to Buchholz second baseman Madison Blackford, whose throw brought first baseman Emily Sorah off the bag just as the out was being recorded.

Initially, the first base umpire called Rodgers out, but Roundtree appealed the play, and the home plate umpire overturned the call.

“What I could see from my angle was the girl came off the bag to field the ball because it really was kind of a dying ball at her feet so she came off the bag to make sure it didn’t get past her and, at his angle (first base umpire), I don’t think he could see that. I requested that he get help to see if the home plate umpire saw it better and he did, so I think it was the right call,” Roundtree said.

The next batter, right fielder Chloe Jones, doubled to right field, and then Aubrey Mattson was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Junior Olivia Tharp (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 RS) and senior Madison Krecker (1-for-2, RBI, RS) had consecutive singles, and Buchholz committed three errors in the inning.

“I really hate to say one play changes the game, but it was a game-changer, getting an out versus having a runner on base, and then they kind of ran away with it that inning,” Hooper said. “It was a very questionable call. My frustration was the first baseman did come off the base, I didn’t argue that, to catch the ball. She stepped back and touched the base. The umpire that is five feet away from the bag called the runner out. They question it, and the umpire that is 55 to 60 feet away overturns it, and that’s just rare in this game. Usually, that doesn’t happen.”

Buchholz answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning.

Senior Juliana Abraham singled and senior Leila Ricks, who made a diving catch in center field in the top of the first inning, doubled to center field.

Senior Jayda Cooper drove in courtesy runner Lucy Sturgeon and Sorah’s fielder’s choice scored Ricks.

Newberry senior Gracie Mattson set the table for the Panthers (9-0) in her leadoff position by going 4-for-4 with two runs scored, including an RBI double in the fifth inning.

“Gracie is the full package,” Roundtree said. “Not only is she a great person and a great kid, but you see what she can do out here and she’s done that against every team we’ve played. I could probably put her as clean up and she would still be really successful, but to be leadoff for us, she gets us going.”

Rodgers got the win in the circle by pitching five innings and allowing just two runs on four hits.

“I thought she did a great job,” Roundtree said. “When she spins it really well for us is when that fastball works well, so when she got her curveball and screwball working, hitting the corners on the fastballs…she did her job. She hit her spots.”

Santa Fe (Alachua) transfer pitcher Sarah Burns closed out the final two innings in relief, allowing no runs with no walks and two strikeouts.

“We were a little more prepared for Sarah,” Hooper said. “We were excited about seeing her, so that kind of threw us off a little bit when you prepare for a pitcher and see a different one, kind of not expecting it. But they made the plays defensively, they hit the ball well, they ran the bases well. They definitely hit the ball and ran the bases better this game than the first game. Overall, they made the plays and we didn’t.”

Newberry will travel to Chiefland on Thursday with a chance to go to 10-0 this season.

“We came into today’s game knowing that we needed to keep our head on straight,” Roundtree said. “They were talking to each other about ‘don’t get too high, don’t get too low’ on anything that is going on in the game or in the season, and I think they are a confident group of girls, but our seniors are doing a good job of keeping the younger ones in check.”

Meanwhile, Buchholz will host rival GHS at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The game will be broadcast online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Last March, the Bobcats defeated the Hurricanes, 16-5, for their first win against their rivals in 10 years. They snapped a 19-game losing streak in the series.

Eastside 29, Wildwood 2 – The host Rams scored 25 runs in the first inning on Tuesday to secure their first win since the 2018-19 school year.

“It was a great feeling,” said Eastside coach Reginald Taylor, whose team ended a long drought with a win against Wildwood in the preseason. “I wasted my tears of joy on our pre-season victory.”

Junior Amira Haywood (2-for-2, 3 RS) and senior Layla Strickland (1-for-1, DBL, 4 RS) each drove in four runs for the Rams (1-3-1).

Sophomore Jayla Lane was 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and four runs scored, leading four players who had at least two hits.

“I realized we needed to get better at hitting,” Taylor said. “We have dedicated an hour a day to just hitting. It worked out pretty well. Once we are on base, we are actually stealing at a high rate, so the key to victory was being disciplined at the plate. We had a game plan, and we executed.”