GREENWOOD – Lander starting pitchers Chris Munn and Jake Hover allowed only five hits in 12-plus innings, leading the Bearcats to a Peach Belt Conference baseball double-header sweep over No. 12 USC Aiken, 5-3 and 6-2, Saturday afternoon at Legion Field. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Lander improved to 28-17 overall and 10-11 in the Peach Belt while the Pacers fell to 36-12, 12-9. Aiken's eight-game winning was snapped.
Hover allowed only three hits in 5.2 innings in the opener while Munn gave up only two first-inning hits in the nightcap. Munn (9-2) allowed only two base-runners after the first inning of Game 2, that coming on an error and a walk. He struck out five and walked one.
Adam Hutchins was Lander's top hitter on the day, going 5-for-6.
The Pacers scored two runs in the first off Munn on Zach Cooper's leadoff double, a two-base throwing error, and an RBI hit by Robert Davis.
Lander responded with five runs in the bottom of the first on six hits. Jonathan Myers reached on a bunt single, stole second and scored on Jesse Barbaro's double. Kevin Davis singled home a run, James Compo singled, and Hutchins and Malcolm McCleod hit RBI singles. Hutchins scored as McCleod was being caught stealing.
The Bearcats added a run in the second when Gabe McCann tripled into the right-field corner and Barbaro smacked an RBI double off the right-field fence to make it 6-2, chasing Aiken starter Gary Lee.
Pacers center fielder Cooper saved a run in the bottom of the fourth when he made a diving catch of Davis' sinking liner for the final out, leaving McCann stranded at second. Lander loaded the bases in the fifth on singles by Compo and Hutchins and a walk, but Nick Wandless relieved Scott Wandless, threw one pitch, and got a double play. But the wasted opportunities did not matter as Munn cruised.
Leading the Bearcats at the plate in Game 2 were Hutchins who was 3-for-3, Davis was 2-for-3, Barbaro went 2-for-4 with two RBI, McCann was 2-for-4, and Compo went 2-for-2.
Lander jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning of Game 1 on five singles and three Aiken errors. Hutchins hit a leadoff single and advanced to third when Munn reached on an error. Radley Raven and McCann hit consecutive RBI singles, and a third run scored when McCleod hit into a double play. Jared Altus reached on a double error by the shortstop and scored on a single by Myers.
The Pacers cut their deficit in half in the top of the sixth on Darryl Pui's two-out, two-run double. Marc Joehnk and Cooper were hit by pitches to lead off the inning, and Davis reached on a one-out error to load the bases. After a fielder's choice, Pui chased Bearcats starter Hover with a double into the left-field corner to make it 4-2. William Dudley entered in relief and got the final out.
Lander's Altus hit his first homer of the season in the bottom of the sixth, belting the ball over the left-field fence to make it 5-2.
Aiken's Ken Raborn blasted his third homer of the year in the top of the seventh. His shot over the left-field fence cut the Pacers deficit to 5-3.
Aiken put the tying runs on base with two outs in the ninth on Ian Kowalchuk's double off and a walk. But Evan Christian got the final out on a popup.
Hover (3-5) got the Game 1 win, allowing two unearned runs while walking one and striking out two. Dudley pitched three innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one. Christian faced two batters and earned his first save of the season by recording the final out.
Jon Paul (6-3) took the loss for Aiken, allowing five runs, three earned, on 10 hits in eight complete innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Hutchins led Lander at the plate in Game 1, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. Altus was 1-for-2 with a homer and two runs.
Pui paced Aiken, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
