DUE WEST, S.C. - The No. 11 Erskine College baseball team used four home runs Tuesday afternoon to help pull out a 10-9 victory in a non-conference game against rival Lander at Grier Field.
Erskine improves to 25-2 on the season, while Lander falls to 12-14.
The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Malcolm McLeod scored on a single from Gabe McCann.
The Fleet would answer with two runs in the bottom of the first on a bases loaded walk by Chas Anthony and a ground out by Matt Schneider.
Lander didn't take long to regain the lead, scoring two runs in the second on a two run home run by Nate Mangiapane. The Bearcats would add three more runs in the third to take a 6-2 lead.
Erskine cut the Lander lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the third with a solo home run from Greg Huff and later in the inning Bryan Fogle scored on an RBI single from John Bolding.
Erskine tied the game at 6-6 in the fifth when Schneider hit a two-run homer and two batters later Matt Wurzer gave the Fleet a 7-6 lead with a solo home run to left field.
Lander rallied to tie the game at 7-7 in the sixth when when McLeod doubled with one out, reached third on a throwing error and later scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of eighth, Atlee Pearson led off the inning with a single and with two outs Fogle would leg out an infield single to bring up Anthony who hit a three-run home run to put the Fleet up 10-7 going into the ninth.
Lander made it a one run game with an RBI double from Robert Skinner and an RBI single from Brooks Arnette.
Huff led the Fleet at the plate going 3-for-5 with one home run and one RBI, while Anthony went 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI and Schneider went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Huitt Scarborough picked up the win pitching 5.1 innings of relief, allowing one unearned run and striking out three, while Bolding picked up the save.
McLeod went 3-for-5 with three runs scored to lead the Bearcats, while Mangiapane went 2-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Brad Hay took the loss, allowing three runs in 3.1 innings of relief.
