GREENWOOD----The Lander baseball team exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to break a 4-4 tie and go on to defeat Pfeiffer University, 15-9, Friday night in a non-conference game at Legion Field.
Lander improves to 2-2, while Pfeiffer drops to 3-3. The two teams will play another single game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.
Justin Altman (1-0) earned the victory for Lander as he struck out one, walked one and allowed just two hits in four innings pitched. Nick Fogleman (0-2) suffered the loss as he struck out three, walked three and allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
In the fifth, Hunter Ruoss doubled to right center and advanced to third on a groundout. Brooks Arnette reached first when he was hit by a pitch, then Ruoss scored on Jonathan Myers' RBI bunt. Myers advanced to third on an error by pitcher George Smith on a pick off attempt. Malcolm McLeod then walked to load the bases with one out. Danny Morgan singled in Myers and Arnette to take a 7-4 lead. McLeod and Morgan then scored on Chris Munn's RBI single.
Lander added six runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. Ruoss walked then went to second on Justin King's single. Arnette singled in Ruoss to make it 10-4. Myers then singled in King and Arnette and McLeod scored on Munn's RBI double.
Lander jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Myers walked, stole second and scored when McLeod reached on an error by the shortstop. T.J. Guinan doubled down the left-field line to score McLeod.
Pfeiffer's Emmanuel Turner tied it with a two-run double into the left-center field gap in the top of the second.
Lander regained the lead in the bottom of the second when Myers reached on a two-out bunt single, stole second, and scored on McLeod's single to left. Jesse Barbaro singled to left, then Morgan hit an RBI single to right to make it 4-2.
The Falcons tied the game again in the top of the third on Justin Ridenhour's RBI single and Turner's run-scoring double.
Leading hitters for Lander were: Myers (4-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBI), Justin King (2-for-4, one triple, one run scored), Barbaro (2-for-6, one run scored, two RBI), Guinan (1-for-5, one double, one RBI), Ruoss (1-for-4, one double, two runs scored), and Morgan (3-for-4, two runs scored, three RBI).
For Pfeiffer, Ridenhour went 2-for-4 with one double, two runs scored and two RBI and Turner went 2-for-4 with one double and three RBI.
