SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Lander softball team remained at .500 Sunday afternoon when the Bearcats split a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader at Armstrong Atlantic State University. The Bearcats edged the Pirates, 2-1, in game one, but AASU took game two, 8-0, in five innings. (Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore)
Lander improves to 20-20 overall and 6-10 in the PBC, while the Pirates are 31-16, 10-10.
The Bearcats scored its two runs in game one in the first inning off of AASU starter Megan Barnwell. Natalie Smith hit a 3-2 pitch just over the center field wall for a leadoff home run, then three straight singles by Brittney Sheriff, Marilyn Newman and Daisy Stewart loaded the bases. Barnwell struck out Haley Foster for the first out, then induced a fly ball to left field off the bat of Casey Corbitt. Sheriff tagged and scored on the sac fly, but Meagan Qualls threw out Newman trying to tag from second to end the inning.
AASU cut the lead to 2-1 in the fourth inning. Erin Billingsley led off the frame with a walk and Baillie Temples was hit by a pitch, prompting the Bearcats to bring in Hayley Leissner (14-4) in relief of Shelbey Spencer. A wild pitch by Leissner moved the runners up one base, then senior Nicole Huddleston drove home Billinsgley with an RBI single. Leissner retired the next three batters to escape the jam, leaving the tying run on third.
Leissner and Barnwell each held the other team scoreless the rest of the way. AASU got the leadoff runner on in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Shelby Duff, but after a pop out, Duff was caught stealing and Leissner induced a ground ball out by Ashley Buckett for the final out of the game.
Leissner hurled four innings of three-hit shutout ball, walking one, to pick up the win for the Bearcats in relief. Barnwell (13-7) took the loss for the Pirates, giving up eight hits and two runs in seven innings, walking three and striking out nine.
In game two, the Pirates took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Huddleston. AASU broke the game open in the third with five runs - a bases-loaded walk to Meagan Qualls plated one, then an infield single to second base by Duff plated one run, then scored another run when a throw home went wild. Heather Walker followed with a two-RBI single to right, making the score 6-0.
AASU capped the scoring in the fourth with a pair of unearned runs, and Duff (10-4) set down the Bearcats in order in the fifth to register the victory. Duff allowed just two hits in five innings, walking one and striking out four to pick up the win.
Spencer (4-11) took the loss for the Bearcats in game two, giving up three hits and four runs in 2 2/3 innings pitched, walking two and striking out one.
Huddleston, the lone senior on the squad this year for the Pirates, led AASU in the doubleheader by going 3-for-4 with two walks and three RBIs on Senior Day. April Jowers added a 4-for-6 day as well.
Marilyn Newman led the Bearcats with a 3-for-3 game in game one, including a double. Smith and Brittney Sheriff had two hits apiece as well.
