GREENWOOD – The Lander Bearcats finished their 2006 baseball season on a high note Saturday, earning a Peach Belt Conference double-header sweep over North Georgia College & State University 4-3 and 3-0. But they fell short of their goal to reach the post-season. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
When USC Aiken beat Armstrong Atlantic in the first game of a double-header Saturday, Lander's hopes of reaching the PBC Tournament ended. Lander finished the season 31-22 overall and 13-14 in the Peach Belt. North Georgia finished 32-29 and 9-18.
The Bearcats won Game 1 when Ryan Brisby walked with the bases loaded and two out in the bottom of the ninth, giving Jake Hover a complete-game victory. They won Game 2 on Chris Munn's second shutout of the season, giving him 10 victories.
Lander seniors Brisby, Radley Raven, James Compo, Kevin Davis, Adam Hutchins, Corey Watkins and Kevin Jones all ended their college baseball careers Saturday.
The Bearcats jumped on top in Game 2 on Gabe McCann's sixth homer of the season, a blast over the right-field fence in the bottom of the third.
Lander padded its lead with two runs in the sixth with three seniors making important contributions in their final at-bats. Malcolm McCleod hit a leadoff single, Jesse Barbaro walked, and Davis sacrificed the runners to second and third. Compo hit an RBI single and Hutchins lifted a sacrifice fly to center. It was the final at-bats for Davis, Compo and Hutchins.
Munn (10-3) pitched a seven-hit shutout. He walked four and struck out seven.
Brian Lauderdale provided the Game 2 highlights for North Georgia, going 4-for-4. The Saints third baseman wound up 10-for-11 in the three-game series.
In Game 1, the Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when McCleod singled, stopped at second on a single by Davis, and scored on a single by Hutchins.
Lander starting pitcher Hover had only one bad inning when North Georgia took a 3-1 lead in the fourth. After Hover hit a batter and walked the next, Anders Oster hit a two-run single and Lauderdale lifted a sacrifice fly.
Lander cut it to 3-2 in the sixth when Barbaro doubled off the right-field foul pole and scored on Raven's single up the middle, sliding home just ahead of the tag.
The Bearcats tied the game in the seventh when Jonathan Myers singled, moved to second on Jared Altus's sacrifice bunt, and scored on a double by Davis off the left-field fence.
McCleod started Lander's winning rally with a one-out single to center in the ninth. McCleod moved to second on a ground out by Davis. North Georgia reliever Zach Black intentionally walked Barbaro, and then walked Hutchins to load the bases. Black fell behind Brisby three balls and no strikes, threw a strike, then Brisby fouled a ball off to make the count full. Brisby took ball four low, forcing home the game-winner.
Leader hitters for the Bearcats in Game 1 were McCleod and Davis who were 3-for-5; Barbaro, 2-for-3; and Myers, 2-for-4.
Josh Tate was 2-for-3 for the Saints while Oster was 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Hover (4-5) went the distance for the victory, allowing three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out two.
North Georgia starter Tom Bradley allowed three runs on 11 hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out two and walked two. Black (6-3) all one run on two hits while walking three and fanning two in two innings.
