Doniphan's Daniel Newman celebrates after getting a strikeout to end the game against Greenville on Monday. Newman had 14 strikeouts in the win. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

GREENVILLE -- Doniphan's Daniel Newman turned to the dugout, pumped his fist and let out a yell of accomplishment.

With two outs, Newman battled back from a 3-0 count to strike out Greenville's Trevor Bennett with the bases loaded and preserve Doniphan's 6-5 win, the Dons' first OFC victory of the season.

"We had to get that monkey off our shoulder," Doniphan coach Jason Rose said.

Newman walked two Bears to start the bottom of the seventh but then struck out the next two hitters before hitting Mykel Limanen to load the bases. Newman walked Scott Foster before getting the key final out.

"That is why we play," Rose said. "He gutted up, he threw three in a row and that is what I asked of him. He is a senior, and that is leadership, that is what it takes."

Newman, visibly fatigued, was confident about the final offering to Bennett.

"The last pitch, I knew it was there," Newman said. "I knew it was over and done."

The Bears couldn't get the key hit in the final frame.

"That is tough spot for a freshman, for any ballplayer to be in but especially (when) you put a freshman in that spot," Greenville coach Jason Hill said. "I had confidence in him, I thought Trevor (Bennett) could come through there, the ball just didn't bounce his way today."

The Dons added an insurance run in the top of the seventh that proved essential. Travis Moe reached on an infield single to the left side and later moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. After stealing third base, Moe scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Jordan Casteel to make it 6-4.

"You're never going to have enough," Rose said. "That was a big run. We did a good job getting some baserunners and executing, putting the bat on the ball and manufacturing a run right there."

After the Dons added one run each in the fourth and fifth, Greenville trailed 5-2 but started to rally.

Nick Wren singled and DJ Robinson did the same to put runners on first and second with none out. Robert Abernathy doubled to center field to score Wren and Robinson to make it 5-4. After a strikeout, Tyler Dougherty singled to right field but Gavin Wilfong threw a strike to home plate and Travis Moe applied the tag to preserve the Doniphan lead.

Newman induced a ground out to preserve the one-run Doniphan lead.

Greenville got the scoring going in the second. Josh Smith singled to right field and Limanen got a bunt single which brought up Foster who drew a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Wren singled to center field which plated two and gave the Bears a 2-0 edge.

However, the Dons quickly stuck back . In the third, Adam Tejada and Russ Miller walked before Newman blasted a home run to left center to five the Doniphan a 3-2 edge.

"That felt good, felt real good," Newman said. "I knew we had some confidence (after) we had some runs."

Smith started on the mound for the Bears and allowed five runs in 4 2/3 innings before Jacob Simmons came in for relief.

"That is (Smith's) first start for us and I was impressed," Hill said. "Hopefully, the first start of many over the last couple years."

The Bears battled hard even in the loss, Hill said.

"I can handle a loss like this," Hill said. "I asked these guys to go out and play a hard seven innings of baseball and obviously that is what they did today.

"Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to their guy and their guy had the upper hand today."