GREENWOOD – The Lander softball team earned its first doubleheader sweep of the season Friday afternoon when the Bearcats defeated Erskine College, 3-1 and 6-1, in a non-conference twinbill at Doug Spears Field. (Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore)
Lander improves to 13-15 overall, while Erskine drops to 11-16-1.
In the first game, Lander’s Hayley Leissner and Shelbey Spencer combined for a three-hitter. Leissner (7-3) earned the win in four innings of relief as she struck out seven, walked one and allowed no earned runs on no hits. Spencer struck out five and walked one.
Erskine’s Rebekah George (0-1) took the loss as she struck out three, walked one and allowed two runs (none earned) on one hit in three innings pitched.
Lander took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Brittney Sheriff and Marilyn Newman scored on an Erskine throwing error.
The Bearcats stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth when Blair Hammonds' RBI single plated Casey Corbitt.
Erskine’s Melanie Henderson scored on a fielding error in the sixth inning to cut the Bearcats’ lead to 3-1.
Smith batted 2-for-3 for the Bearcats.
In the second game, Leissner (8-3) claimed her second win of the day, striking out seven and allowing just two hits in four innings.
Erskine's Krissy Kendrick (0-5) suffered the loss, striking out one, walking one and allowing four earned runs on nine hits in six innings of work.
Erskine took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Courtney Davis singled, advanced to second on Morgan Purcell’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jocelyn Smith’s RBI single.
Lander tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Hammonds singled, advanced to second on Corbitt’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on an Erskine throwing error.
Lander went up 2-1 in the third when Smith singled, advanced to second on a throwing error, to third on a wild pitch, then scored on an Erskine throwing error.
The Bearcats stretched the margin to 4-1 in the fourth as Ashley Proctor’s RBI single plated Alyssa Hartley and Proctor later scored on a wild pitch. Daisy Stewart’s fifth-inning, two-run homer gave the Bearcats a 6-1 lead.
Smith went 3-for-3 for the Bearcats.
