Newberry Softball Suffers First Loss Of Season

NEWBERRY — The Newberry Panthers lost to the Bronson Eagles, 4-1, on Tuesday to bring their hopes of an undefeated softball season to an end.

For the purpose of learning and getting better, sometimes you gotta get knocked down, so this one will hurt. We don’t like to lose at all, but we don’t like to lose to a team that’s twenty minutes down the road and the girls have been competing against each other for a couple years now. — Newberry coach Michele Roundtree

The Panthers (11-1) struggled at the plate by striking out 11 times and getting just five hits. The Panthers failed to put any runs on the board in the first despite having two runners in scoring position. Junior Olivia Tharp hit a leadoff double in the second inning, advanced to third on a throwing error, but was picked off at third base to end the inning.

Olivia Tharp ends up on third to get the Newberry Panthers started in the second inning against Bronson. pic.twitter.com/jZGZHZxF6z

— Audrey Layton (@audreyc_layton) April 2, 2025

Sophomore pitcher Madison Rodgers went five innings for Newberry and was also responsible for the team’s only RBI, a sacrifice fly that scored Gracie Mattson from third.

“We did not swing at pitches we should’ve been swinging at,” Roundtree said. “We did not swing the bat the way we should have swung the bat. I think we let a few calls that did not go our way also affect our vibe and our hustle a little.”

After the third inning, Newberry was able to get one run on the board. Score is 2-1 Newberry still trailing. pic.twitter.com/CQBQzyfIYL

— Young, Brooklyn J. (@brooklyn_young_) April 1, 2025

The Eagles (10-9) led the Panthers the entire game and scored one run in both the first and the second innings before freshman Makenna Dean hit a two-run homer to left field in the fifth inning to put them up 4-1.

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“I expect them to just play better as a team tomorrow. Put the pieces together instead of being a bunch of different ones,” Roundtree said.

The Panthers (11-1) look to snap 8-5 Gainesville’s six-game winning streak in Wednesday’s home game that starts at 6:30 p.m.