GREENWOOD, S.C. -- No. 22-ranked Lander
University and Georgia Southwestern split a Peach Belt Conference
baseball double-header Saturday afternoon at Legion Field with the
Bearcats winning the opener 3-2 and the Hurricanes rallying from a
9-2 deficit to win the nightcap 10-9.
GSW is 7-8 overall and 1-1 in the Peach Belt while Lander is
9-3, 1-1. The teams finish their PBC series Sunday afternoon
at 2 o'clock at Legion Field.
The Bearcats won the opener, 3-2, in 11 innings on Brian
Bender's game-winning single. But Georgia Southwestern scored eight
runs in the seventh to shock the hosts in the nightcap as the rally
included Zack Stanton's three-run homer and Daniel Lynn's go-ahead
hit.
In the opening game, the Bearcats won by scoring the
winning run in the 11th after missing several other late scoring
opportunities. Pinch hitter Jordan Owens singled past the shortstop
and pinch runner Jeff Caskey was sacrifice bunted to second by
Brooks Reames. Caskey slid home safely on Bender's single to
center.
Lander took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 when Josh
Lovvorn was hit by a pitch, moved to second on A.J. Nunziato's
single, to third when Gabe McCann walked, and scored on Robert
Skinner's infield single.
The Bearcats made it 2-0 in the second when Reames doubled down
the left-field line and scored on Bender's single to center.
Georgia Southwestern pulled within 2-1 in the top of the sixth
when Bud Long singled, stole second, moved to third on a ground
out, and scored on Francisco Gomez's single.
The Hurricanes tied it in the seventh when Shane Doyle drew a
two-out walk and slid home on Long's double over the left-fielder's
head. The Bearcats threatened to score in the eighth and ninth but
couldn't get the big hit, so the game went into extra innings.
Both starting pitchers performed well. Lander's Darren Tew took
a two-hit shutout into the sixth before giving up one run. He
allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked two in six innings.
Georgia Southwestern's Andrew Whiggum allowed two runs on five hits
while striking out six and walking two in 6.2 innings. Billy Veal
(3-0) got the win in relief while Austin Smith (0-1) took the loss.
Leading hitters in Game 1 for the Hurricanes were Long, 2-for-5
with a double and RBI; and Daniel Stokes, 2-for-4. Leading hitters
for the Bearcats were Bender, 2-for-6 with two RBI; Nunziato,
2-for-3 with a double; and Devin Ridlehoover, 2-for-5.
The Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2
when Chris Lingham reached on an error, stole second, moved to
third on a grounder, and scored on Long's ground out.
Lander took a 3-1 lead in the third with runs scoring on
Ridlehoover's double, McCann's single, and a balk.
Kevin Carroll's sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth pulled
Georgia Southwestern within 3-2. But the Bearcats extended their
lead to 5-2 in their half of the fourth on Lanier's RBI double, and
Nate Mangiapane's sacrifice fly.
The Bearcats seemingly put the game away with four runs in the
fifth. Ridlehoover and Nunziato started the rally with singles and
the first run scored when Hurricanes right fielder Byron Haynes
made a diving catch of a foul ball in deep right off the bat of
McCann for a sacrifice fly. Skinner followed with an RBI single,
Lanier drove in one run with a ground out, and Mangiapane singled
home a run to make it 9-2.
But Stanton's three-run homer to left brought Georgia
Southwestern within 9-5 in the seventh. Then the Hurricanes loaded
the bases, giving them six consecutive base runners before the
first out was recorded on Jared Allen's run-scoring fielder's
choice. Noble Coley added an RBI single and Haynes drove in a run
on a grounder to first, pulling Georgia Southwestern within 9-8.
Lynn looped a single over the shortstop, driving home two to give
the visitors a 10-9 lead.
Brandon Reeder finished off the Bearcats to earn the save and a
double-header split. Ryan Lackey earned the victory in relief while
Bearcats reliever Casey Downam took the loss.
Leading hitters for Lander in Game 2 were Ridlehoover, 3-for-5;
Owens, 2-for-4; and McCann, Mangiapane and Lanier with two RBI
apiece. Ridlehoover had five hits in the double-header. Stanton led
the Hurricanes, going 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI while Lynn
was 1-for-2 with two RBI.
PICTURED: Zack Stanton
PHOTO BY: Chris Fenn
