GREENWOOD----Adam Hutchins and Gabe McCann combined for six of Lander's 10 hits Thursday night to lead the Bearcats to a 16-7 non-conference victory over Anderson University at Legion Field.
Lander improves to 18-7 overall, while Anderson drops to 10-20.
The Bearcats Evan Christian (3-0) collected the win on the mound, striking out four, walking one and allowing one earned run on two hits in 4.2 innings pitched. Anderson's Desmond Robson (2-3) was the losing pitcher, striking out two and allowing one earned run on one hit in one inning pitched. The Trojans used nine pitchers in the contest.
Anderson took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning when Tony Graham and Jessie Whiteside led off with walks against Corey Watkins, Lander's starting pitcher. After advancing on Jonathan Pitts' sacrifice bunt, Graham scored on John Mac White's sacrifice fly and Whiteside crossed the plate on Cody Nye's short single to left field.
Lander's Gabe McCann gave Lander a 3-2 lead in the second inning when he blasted a three-run homer over the 370-foot mark in right center, which plated Adam Hutchins and Kevin Davis.
Anderson tied the game at 3-3 in the third when White smacked a solo home run over the 335-foot mark down the left field line.
The Bearcats came right back in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead on Jesse Barbaro's solo homer over the right field fence. Lander extended the lead to 6-3 in the fourth when James Compos scored on Jared Altus' fielder's choice and Radley Raven went home on Radley Raven's RBI single.
Lander added seven runs on four hits in the fifth, including Hutchins' two-run double.
Anderson cut the maring to 13-7 in the four-run seventh inning. Kyle Lewis scored on Whiteside's sacrifice fly; Josh Harrison and Tony Graham scored on White's two-run single; and Chris Pitts scored on Nye's RBI single.
For Lander, Hutchins went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI; McCann went 3-for-5 with one home run, one double, three runs scored and five RBI; Jesse Barbaro went 1-for-4 with one home run, two runs scored and one RBI; and Justin King went went 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.
For Anderson, White went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI and Nye went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Lander will host Armstrong Atlantic State University this weekend in a Peach Belt Conference three-game series. The two teams will play a single game beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and a doubleheader beginning at noon on Sunday.
