SAVANNAH, Ga.----Daisy Stewart hit a solo home run in the eighth inning Saturday afternoon to lead the Lander softball team to a 5-4 Peach Belt Conference victory over Armstrong Atlantic State University and a split in the doubleheader at Pirate Field. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Armstrong Atlantic came back to win the second game, 5-4. Both games went extra innings.
Lander is 6-2 overall and 1-1 in the PBC, while Armstrong Atlantic starts the season at 1-1, 1-1.
Brittany Wallace (3-1) earned the victory for the Bearcats, striking out seven, walking eight and allowing four earned runs on five hits in the complete eight innings. AASU's Jessica Waters (0-1) suffered the loss, walking two and allowing five earned runs on 10 hits in eight innings.
Lander jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Wallace blasted a solo home run over the left field fence and Lib Harris scored on Natalie Smith's RBI double. Lander extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth on Wallace's second homer.
The Pirates came back in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.
Lander tied the game at 4-4 in the fifth when Smith scored on Melissa Ryals' sacrifice fly.
In the second game, Austin Murray (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season as she struck out one, walked one and allowed four earned runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings. AASU's Nicole Huddleston was the winning pitcher, striking out five, walking two and allowing just two hits in 2.1 innings.
Smith scored on Ashlea Burdette's RBI single in the first inning to give Lander a 1-0 lead. After AASU tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first, Kelly doubled in Corrie Bessinger in the fourth to give Lander a 2-1 advantage. Lander extended the lead to 4-1 in the sixth when Megan Lowe sent a solo homer over the centerfield fence and Harris, who walked and advanced to third on Kelley's double, scored on a passed ball.
Armstrong Atlantic came back to tie the game at 4-4 when the Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
AASU won the game in the eighth inning when Ashley Bain scored on Tori Richter's RBI single.
