GREENWOOD – Natalie Smith belted a two-run homer run over the left field fence to lead the Lander softball team to a 6-1 victory over Georgia College & State University Tuesday in a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader split at Doug Spears Field. GCSU won the second game, 4-2. (Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore)

Lander moves to 11-15 overall and 2-6 in the PBC, while GCSU is 10-19, 2-4.

In the first game, Lander’s Hayley Leissner (6-3) earned the win as she struck out 11, walked one and allowed just one hit in four innings of relief.

GCSU’s Haley Burnett (6-9) took the loss, striking out five, walking three and allowing two earned runs on five hits in six innings pitched.

After Smith’s first-inning homer, GCSU trimmed the lead to 2-1 on Haley Burnett’s second-inning, solo round-tripper over the left center fence.

Lander added four runs in the fifth when Marilyn Newman’s RBI single plated Blair Hammonds, then Smith, Brittney Sheriff and Marilyn Newman all scored on a GCSU fielding error.

Hammonds went 2-for-3 for Lander.

In the second game, GCSU’s Burnett (7-10) was awarded the win after she walked three and allowed just three hits in seven innings.

Lander’s Hamby (3-5) took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

GCSU took a 4-0 first-inning lead when Kayla Smith’s RBI double scored Kelsea Martin, Anna Parker’s RBI single plated Smith, then Belourse Francois hit a two-run homer.

Lander cut the margin to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning on Smith’s RBI double which sent Sheriff and Newman home.

Smith batted 2-for-4 for the Bearcats, while GCSU’s Sabrina Chandler went 2-for-3.