CLINTON, S.C.- The Lander softball team swept Presbyterian College, 8-4 and 7-2, Tuesday afternoon at the PC Softball Complex in its final tuneup before this weekend's Peach Belt Conference Tournament. (Game 1 Box |Game 2 Box)
Lander improves to 24-26-1, while the Lady Blue Hose drop to 24-31.
Game 1
Lander 8, Presbyterian 4
Senior Shannon Vining was the only Lady Blue Hose batter to get more than one hit in game one of the doubleheader. Vining led all batters for the game with three hits.
Lander drew first blood when they put up a three-run third inning. Melissa Ryals kicked off the scoring when she flied out to centerfield and scored Heather Bishop. The Lady Blue Hose then walked four consecutive batters to hand two more runs to the Bearcats. Corrie Bessinger and Colleen Leggieri were both pushed across the plate on walks.
The Lady Blue Hose took the lead by one run the next inning when they scored four runs on five hits. Junior Rachel Bailey got things going for the Lady Blue Hose when she singled and brought in sophomore Kellyn Henderson. Bailey and Vining then scored when the shortstop committed an error on a grounder hit by freshman Ashley Ford. Senior Kate Fite finished the four-run inning by scoring Ford on a single hit to center field.
The Bearcats scored one run in each the fourth and fifth innings.
The Bearcats set the final score when Leggieri stepped in and hit a three-run homer over the center field fence.
Ashlea Burdette improved her pitching record to 11-7 as she picked up the win for Lander. Relief pither Megan Wheelus picked up her first loss for the Lady Blue Hose for the season.
Game 2
Lander 7, Presbyterian 2
Leggieri got things going in the first inning when she hit a double to left field and scored Ryals and Bessinger. Leggieri and Rachelle Lawrence accounted for half of the Bearcats hits in game two, each of them contributing three to lead the team. Keri Davis then picked up an RBI of her own when she scored Leggieri on a single hit to left field.
PC had no answer for Lander until the bottom of the sixth when they were finally able to score a pair of runs. Henderson got PC on the board when she grounded out to the pitcher, scoring freshman Laura Tate. Vining then scored senior Haley Brooks on a single shot down the left field line.
Lady Blue Hose starter Erin Stewart picked up her sixth loss for the season. Lander starter Austin Murray improved her record to 6-7 with the win.
