AUGUSTA, Ga. - The No. 18-ranked Lander baseball team split a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader against Augusta State Sunday, winning the first game, 8-0, and dropping the second, 15-7, at Lake Olmstead Park. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Lander is 19-9 overall and 5-5 in the PBC, while ASU is 16-14, 5-4.
In the first game, Tim Rau (4-1) earned the win as he struck out one, walked one and allowed no runs and just five hits in six complete innings.
ASU's Scott Strickland (2-2) took the loss as he walked three and allowed three earned runs on four hits in 2.1 innings.
For Lander, Devin Ridlehoover went 3-for-6 with two doubles and one run scored, while Bud Lanier went 5-for-5 with one run and two RBI, Robert Skinner went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI, and Jordan Owens 2-for-4 with two RBI.
For Augusta, Kevin Owens went 2-for-4.
Lander, which outhit the Jaguars, 17-7, took a 1-0 lead in the second inning then stretched the margin to 4-0 in the third. The Bearcats added one run in the seventh, two in the eighth and one in the ninth.
In the second game, the Bearcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first only to have the Jags score four runs in the bottom of the ininng. Down 12-2, Lander rallied for five runs in the seventh inning, but it wouldn't be enough as ASU scored three runs each in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Jags outhit Lander, 19-15.
ASU's Ben Dukes (4-1) earned the victory has he struck out six, walked one and allowed five earned runs on 11 hits in 6.1 innings.
Lander's Chris Thomas (2-2) took the loss as he walked three and allowed four earned runs on one hit in one-third of an inning.
For Lander, Josh Lovvorn went 2-for-4 with one double and two runs scored, while Skinner went 2-for-5 (one run, one RBI), Nate Mangiapane 2-for-4 (one run) and Owens 2-for-4 (two RBI).
Augusta State's Tim Rawlings went 3-for-5 with one triple, three runs scores and four RBI, while Jorge Virguez (3-for-4, three runs), Shannon Wilkerson (1-for-3, three runs, one RBI) and Tony Baker (2-for-4) all doubled.
