MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. - The Lander baseball team used a pair of two-run homers by Bud Lanier Sunday afternoon to upset No. 9 Georgia College & State University, 4-3, in the first game of a rain-delayed Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at John Kurtz Field. GCSU came back in the nightcap to defeat the Bearcats, 13-5. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
Lander is now 20-11 overall and 6-7 in the PBC, while GCSU is 22-9, 9-5. The two teams will finish the three-game series on Monday afternoon.
In the first game, Drew Elliott (4-2) earned the win as he struck out three, walked one and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings pitched. David Glover earned his seventh save of the season.
GCSU's Mike Tokessy (0-1) suffered the loss as he struck out one and allowed one earned run on one hit in one inning pitched.
GCSU took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Derek Johns doubled then scored on on Brooks Robinson's RBI singled, and Pete Paris, who was hit by a pitch, scored on Buddy Elmore RBI double.
Lander quickly tied the game at 2-2 on Lanier's first two-run home run in the fourth.
GCSU regained the lead at 3-2 in the fifth on Paris' RBI single, only to have the Bearcats retake the lead at 4-3 on Lanier's second two-run homer.
For Lander, Lanier went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Devin Ridlehoover and Nate Mangiapane both went went 2-for-4.
For GCSU, Elmore went 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI, while Sean Harrell (1-for-5) and Johns (3-for-4) both doubled.
Both teams had 10 hits in the game.
In the second game, GCSU's Eric Pettepher (4-2) notched the win as he struck out seven, walked three and allowed three earned runs on 10 hits in seven innings.
LU's Tim Rau (4-2) took the loss as he struck out two, walked one and allowed three earned runs on five hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
The Bobcats took a 3-0 lead in the second when Andrew Evans scored on Paul Bordon's sacrifice bunt and Robinson's two-RBI single plated Bordon and Matt Pitts. GCSU stretched the lead to 5-0 in the fourth when Bordon led off with a solo homer and Harrell scored on Johns' RBI double.
Lander cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Lanier scored on a pair of GCSU errors and Mangiapane went home on Brooks Reames' RBI single.
Pitts' RBI doubled plated Richard Pirkle to give the Bobcats a 6-2 advantage in the fifth. GCSU added another run in the sixth on Elmore's RBI double, only to have Lander counter in the seventh with Ridlehoover's sacrifice fly.
The Bobcats went up 9-3 in the seventh on RBI singles from Robinson and Harrell.
Lander added one more run in the eighth when Robert Skinner doubled and scored on Lanier's RBI single.
GCSU put the game out of reach with four runs in the eighth.
For Lander, Brian Bender (2-for-4) and Skinner (3-for-5, one RBI) both doubled, while Lanier went 4-for-5 with one RBI and Reames 2-for-4 with one RBI.
For GCSU, Danny McCorkell (1-for-1, two RBI), Pitts (3-for-4, three RBI) and Bordon (1-for-3, two RBI) all homered, while Harrell (3-for-5, one RBI) and Johns (1-for-5, one RBI) doubled.
