FLORENCE, S.C. – The Lander softball team snapped a 12-game losing streak and freshman pitcher Hayley Leisnner broke the program’s single-season strikeout record as the Bearcats split its games Friday to stay alive in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament at Freedom Florence Park. (PBC Tournament website)
Lander vs. Francis Marion boxscore
Lander vs. Columbus State boxscore
The No. 10 seeded Bearcats fell to seventh seeded Francis Marion, 6-0, in the tournament’s opening game then upset sixth seeded Columbus State, 5-3, in the loser’s bracket. Lander, which improves to 14-30, will face second-seeded Georgia College & State University at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Leissner, who earned All-PBC honors on Thursday, entered the game one strikeout behind Sarah Permenter’s 180 set in 2004. Leissner (10-22) fired four strikeouts against FMU and five more against Columbus State for a total of 188.
Against FMU, Leissner took the loss as she struck out four and allowed six earned runs on 10 hits.
Michaela Wolf (17-9) earned the win for FMU as she struck out four and allowed just two hits in six innings pitched.
Lander, which stranded nine base runners, got hits from Carrie Hudson, Daisy Stewart and Lindsey Sammons.
For FMU, Jessica Birchmeier went 1-for-3 with one double and one run scored, while Stevie Arrand batted 1-for-1 with one double and two runs scored. Ashley Jaramillo batted 2-for-2 with one RBI and Laura Haugh went 2-for-3 with one run scored.
The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on Jaramillo’s sacrifice fly, then stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fifth on Lakyn Bendle’s two-run single. FMU added three runs in the sixth on Arrand’s RBI double, and Shannan Tyson’s two-run single.
Against Columbus State, Lander took a 1-0 lead on Natalie Smith’s RBI single, only to have Columbus State come back and take a 3-1 in the bottom of the inning when Christie Thompson scored on a fielder’s choice and Ginny Walsh stroked a two-run double for the Cougars.
Lander went ahead for good in the third at 4-3 on RBI singles from Smith, Shelly Grimsley and Lindsey Traynham. Stewart’s RBI double to right field in the seventh closed out the Bearcats’ scoring.
For Lander, Hudson (3-for-4, one run scored) and Stewart (2-for-4, one run, one RBI) both doubled. Smith batted 2-for-4 with two RBI.
For CSU, Carrie Jones (1-for-4, one run) and Walsh (2-for-3, two RBI) both doubled, while Thompson went 3-for-4 with one run scored.
