GREENWOOD - The Lander baseball team earned its first Peach Belt Conference victory of season Friday afternoon when the Bearcats defeated Armstrong Atlantic State University, 12-8, in the first of a three-game series at Legion Field.
Lander improves to 14-9 overall and 1-6 in the PBC, while Armstrong Atlantic moves to 16-7, 1-3. The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m., Saturday.
Christian Brown (1-0) earned the win for Lander, striking out two, walking two and allowing two earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched.
Armstrong Atlantic's Ben Jackson (0-1) took the loss after allowing two earned runs in one-third of an inning.
Lander scored two runs each in the first three innings to to take a 6-0 lead. Pete Hernandez had a two-RBI single in the first inning, Bud Lanier and Joe Tebaldi had RBI singles in the second, and Ryan McNulty and Tebaldi had RBI singles in the third.
The Pirates cut the Lander lead to 6-2 in the fourth when Josh Wilson scored on a bases-loaded double play and Cameron Scott's RBI double plated Alex Wyche.
After Devin Ridlehoover's RBI double sent Jordan Owens across the plate to give Lander a 7-2 lead in the fifth, AASU erupted for five runs in the sixth. John Roberts led off with a solo home run, Scott scored on a bases-loaded walk, Wilson had an RBI single and Wyche followed with a two-RBI double to tie the game at 7-7.
The Bearcats, however, came back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take an 11-7 lead. Owens stroked an RBI single, then McNulty powered a three-RBI double to left field.
Both teams added one run each in the seventh inning -- Armstrong's when Scott scored on a wild pitch, and Lander's when Alan Abreu's sacrifice fly plated Lanier.
For Lander, McNulty went 2-for-4 with two doubles, one run scored and four RBI, while Lanier (2-for-5, two runs, one RBI) and Ridlehoover (2-for-5, two runs, one RBI) both doubled. Tebaldi went 2-for-3 and Robert Skinner 2-for-5.
AASU's Roberts batted 1-for-5 the one homer, while Scott hit 3-for-5 with one double, two runs and one RBI. Wyche hit 2-for-5.
