GREENWOOD – Lander's Hayley Leissner pitched a shutout in Game 1 and Pamela Stephenson scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 2, giving the Lady Bearcats a non-conference softball double-header sweep against Anderson University Saturday afternoon. Lander won the opener 5-0 and the second game 6-5. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
The Lady Bearcats improved to 6-4 on the season while Anderson fell to 6-5.
Lander took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of Game 1 after Nikki Cumalander hit a leadoff double into the gap in right center and stopped at third on Sara Senn's infield single to third. Both runners scored on Carrie Hudson's grounder to second, with Cumalander sliding home safely and Senn crossing the plate after the throw got past the catcher.
The Lady Bearcats broke the game open with three runs in the fourth. Lindsey Sammons and Haley Foster singled, and both scored on Cumalander's double to center. Cumalander moved to third on Senn's ground out, and scored on an error by the catcher.
Leissner took care of the rest, tossing a three-hit shutout. She struck out seven and walked one.
Leading hitters for the Lady Bearcats in Game 1 were Cumalander, 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI; and Sammons, 2-for-3.
Anderson's first run of the afternoon came in the second inning of Game 2 on Lora Daniel's line drive homer to left.
Lander grabbed the lead in the bottom of the second when Nikki Brown hit the team's first home run of the season. Hudson led off with a single, Natalie Smith reached on a fielder's choice, and Brown followed with a line drive three-run homer down the left-field line.
The Lady Bearcats stretched their lead to 5-1 in the third. Bree Shirley singled, stole second and scored on Hudson's double. Hudson moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball.
The Trojans pulled within 5-4 in the fourth on Kasey King's home run to left center and Meredith Knox's two-run double.
The Trojans tied it in the seventh with Amber Sutherland reaching on an infield single, moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kayla Williams, and scoring on Emily Monteith's single to center.
Lander won it in the bottom of the seventh with Cumulander reaching on a leadoff single to right. Pinch runner Stephenson moved to second and third on ground outs by Senn and Shirley, and scored the game-winner on a wild pitch.
Leissner was the winning pitcher in relief for the Lady Bearcats. Leading hitters were Hudson, 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI; Brown, 1-for-3 with a homer and three RBI; and Sammons who was 2-for-3. Sammons finished the double-header with four hits.
Daniel, Knox and Sutherland had two hits apiece for Anderson.
