DAHLONEGA, GA – The No. 22-ranked Lander baseball team split a rain-delayed Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with No. 10 North Georgia College Saturday at Bob Stein Stadium. The two teams didn't finish until midnight. Lander upset the Saints, 3-1 in the first game, then lost, 13-4, in the nightcap. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
The Bearcats are now 13-4 overall and 3-2 in the PBC, while North Georgia is 10-5, 4-1. The two teams will complete the three-game series today at 2 p.m.
In the first game, Lander's Darrin Tew (1-0) earned the win as he struck out eight, walked one and allowed one earned run on seven hits in six complete innings.
North Georgia's James Wiley (1-1) took the loss as he struck out seven, walked two and allowed three earned runs on five hits in six complete innings.
Lander took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Brian Bender scored on Josh Lovvorn's groundout and Devin Ridlehoover cross the plate on AJ Nunziato's RBI single to right field.
The Saints cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth when John David Burgess doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
Lander extended its lead to 3-1 on Nunziato's solo homer to right centerfield in the sixth inning.
Relief pitcher Andy Quick pulled the Bearcats out of a jam in the seventh inning when he entered the game with baserunners on second and third with no outs. Quick struck out the first two batters, walked the third and fanned the fourth.
After holding the Saints scoreless for two innings, David Glover relieved Quick to earn his fifth save of the season.
In the second game, NGCSU's Tyler Musslewhite (2-0) picked up the win, tossing 8.0 innings and
allowing four runs, three earned, while striking out eight. Lander's Tim Rau (2-1) took the loss, lasting 3.0 innings and giving up nine hits and six earned runs.
In the second inning, the Saints finally broke through at the plate, recording four hits and taking advantage of two Lander errors to plate four runs. Chad Sage doubled home Adam Baker to plate the first run of the inning, while Jordan Erisman and Airich followed with RBI hits to lift the Saints to a 4-0 lead.
Lander came right back in the fourth inning to tie the game on two hits and used three walks, two of which scored to make it a 4-4 game. Robert Skinner provided the only RBI hit of the inning, singling through the left side for the first run of the frame.
JD Burgess put the Saints right back in front for good in the bottom half of the inning, blasting his first home run of the year to bring Craig Brisson home and make it 6-4. Daniel Petitti picked up a clutch two-out RBI later in the inning, sending Airich trotting home to make 7-4. Sage continued the two-out rally doubling to left center to bring another run home, while Davy Wallach put a lid on the inning, plating two more runs to cap a six-run fourth inning.
