GREENWOOD – Nate Mangiapane’s two-run single gave Lander the lead and the bullpen did the rest, lifting the Bearcats to a 4-2 Peach Belt Conference baseball victory over Columbus State Saturday afternoon in the second game of a double-header at Legion Field. The Cougars won the opener, 8-0, on Jarrett Coker’s six-hit shutout. (Game Box 1 | Game Box 2)
Lander is 22-13 overall and 7-8 in the Peach Belt. Columbus State is 19-14, 9-7. The teams will conclude their three-game PBC series Sunday at 1 o’clock at Legion Field.
The Cougars took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the second game when Jake Lepchitz singled, Alex Montes hit an RBI triple, and Eric Skinner hit a run-scoring infield single.
But after being shut out for the first 13 innings of Saturday’s double-header, the Bearcats broke through with three runs in the fifth. Jeff Caskey led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brooks Reames, stopped at third on Brian Bender’s infield single, and scored on Robert Skinner’s sacrifice fly to right. Bud Lanier reached on an infield single to load the bases and Mangiapane followed with a two-run single, giving Lander its first lead of the day at 3-2.
The Bearcats added a run in the sixth when Caskey singled, stole second, and scored on Bender’s two-out single to left, making it 4-2.
Lander’s bullpen made the lead stand up. Starting pitcher Chris Thomas (3-2) got the win, allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. Billy Veal, Andy Quick and David Glover shut the Cougars out the rest of the way with Glover recording his ninth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Danny Davidson (0-1) took the loss for Columbus.
Leading hitters in Game 2 for the Bearcats were Lanier (4-for-4, stolen base), Caskey (3-for-4, stolen base, two runs), Bender (2-for-5, RBI), and Mangiapane (1-for-2, 2 RBI). The Cougars were limited to five singles in the game.
Coker (4-3) dominated the opener, striking out eight and walking two. It was his second shutout of the season. Drew Elliott (4-3) took the loss for Lander.
Columbus took a 4-0 lead in Game 1 with single runs in the second and third innings, and two more in the fourth. Tim Bondell had an RBI double in the second, Thomas Morrison belted a run-scoring double in the third, and Eric Skinner added a two-run double in the fourth.
The Cougars upped their lead to 6-0 in the fifth when Tyler Baughman hit a two-out double and scored on Chris Martin’s two-run homer over the left-field fence. It was his third homer of the season.
Columbus added two runs in the seventh when Aaron Beasley drew a bases-loaded walk and Montes reached on infield single to drive in a run.
Leading hitters for the Cougars in Game 1 were Eric Skinner (2-for-5, two doubles, two RBI), Montes (2-for-4), and Martin (2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI). Mangiapane was the only Bearcat with multiple hits in the opener, going 2-for-4 with a double. Devin Ridlehoover also had a double for Lander.
