MISENHEIMER, N.C. - Bud Lander launched a fourth-inning grand slam home run over the left field fence and Jordan Owens added a solo shot to centerfield in the second inning to lead the Lander baseball team to a 14-5 non-conference victory over Pfeiffer University Thursday afternoon at Joe Ferebee Field.
Lander, which is ranked No. 23 in the Ping!Baseball national poll, improves to 12-2 overall, while Pfeiffer slips to 9-11.
Brandon Farquhar (4-0) earned the win on the mound for the Bearcats as he struck out four, walked three and allowed one earned run on three hits in six innings pitched.
Pfeiffer's Jeff Barkley (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he allowed five runs (four earned) on two hits in one-third of an inning of work.
Lander took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Owens' solo homer, but the Falcons came back in the bottom of the inning to go up 3-1 when Jesse Dunn had an RBI single and Dunn and JT Pope scored on a Lander error.
The Bearcats exploded for nine runs in the fourth, highlighted by Lanier's grand slam at the end of the inning to take a 10-3 lead. Owens walked, advanced to third on Pete Hernandez's single then scored on a Pfeiffer throwing error. Aaron Fludd's RBI single plated Ryan McNulty and Hernandez. Alan Abreu scored on Hunter Dowis' fielder's choice and Fludd went home on a bases-loaded walk.
Lander stretched the lead to 14-3 in the seventh when Devin Ridlehoover scored on Owens' ground out, Hernandez's RBI double plated Lanier and Robert Skinner, and Hernandez scored on Abreu's RBI double.
Pfeiffer rallied for two runs in in the ninth when Zack Pou's RBI single scored Julian Medina and Myles Pearl scored from third on a Lander throwing error.
For Lander, Hernandez hit 5-for-6 with three doubles, two runs scored and one RBI; while Abreu was 2-for-4 with one double, one run and one RBI; and Ridlehoover 2-for-4 with two runs.
