GREENWOOD – Lander's Jordan Owens hit home runs in three consecutive at-bats in Game 2, including the game-winning blast in the eighth inning, giving the Bearcats a 10-9 victory and a Peach Belt Conference double-header split against Flagler College Saturday afternoon at Legion Field. (Box Score 1 | Box Score 2)
The Saints won the opener, 12-8.
The teams will complete their Peach Belt series Sunday with a single game at 1 o'clock at Legion Field.
Lander (23-18 overall, 6-14 in the PBC) trailed 5-1 going into the bottom of the fifth inning of Game 2 when Owens went to work, hitting a solo homer well over the left-field fence. It would be only the beginning for the Bearcats' first baseman.
Flagler (22-20, 10-10 PBC) increased its lead back to four runs, 6-2, when Zach Bove, who was 7-for-10 in the double-header, singled, moved to third on Travis Coverston's single, and scored on a wild pitch.
Lander got closer with two runs in the sixth when Devin Ridlehoover singled and scored on Joe Tebaldi's double into the left-field corner. Tebaldi advanced to third on Ryan McNulty's ground out and scored on a wild pitch, pulling the Bearcats within 6-4.
The Saints added a run in the top of the seventh when Jose Rohena doubled into right center off the glove of diving center fielder Bud Lanier, moved to third on Nate Fudala's sacrifice bunt, and scored on Cale Owen's ground out.
Lander stormed ahead with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Robert Skinner started the rally with a single and Owens followed with his second homer of the game, pulling the Bearcats within 7-6 with a shot over the center-field fence. One out later, Lanier tripled to left and scored the tying run on a balk. Alan Abreu, who had walked, stole second, and moved to third on the balk, scored the go-ahead run on McNulty's single to center, putting Lander on top 8-7.
Flagler bounced back with the tying run in the top of the eighth when Bove doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Ollie Bertrand's two-out infield single to tie the game at 8.
But Owens continued to carry the Bearcats on his back. After Skinner opened the bottom of the eighth with his third hit of the game and fifth of the day, a single, Owens followed with his third consecutive homer, a two-run shot over the right-field fence to give Lander a 10-8 lead. For Owens, it was his 10th homer of the season and gave him five RBI in the game. His three homers went to all fields, left, center and right.
Flagler pulled within a run in the top of the ninth when Fudala hit a leadoff single off Lander reliever Ben Runyon, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Bove's two-out double. But Runyon, who struck out two hitters in his one inning of work, induced a groundout to end the game and record his first save of the season. Bearcats reliever Ross Davis (2-3) was credited with the win while Tyler McKendree (1-3) took the loss for the Saints.
Lander took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 when Skinner doubled and scored on Pete Hernandez's single, but Flagler went ahead 2-1 in the top of the second with two unearned runs on an error by the second baseman with the bases loaded.
Bertrand's sacrifice fly in the third, Bove's RBI single in the fourth, and Fudala's run-scoring ground out in the fifth upped the Saints' lead to 5-1.
Leading hitters for Lander in Game 2 were Owens, 4-for-5 with three homers, five RBI and three runs scored; Skinner, 3-for-5 with three runs; Hernandez, 2-for-5 with an RBI; and Tebaldi, 2-for-2 with a run and RBI.
Leading hitters in Game 2 for Flagler were Bove, 5-for-6 with two doubles, two runs and two RBI; Bertrand, 2-for-4 with two RBI; Rohena, 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs; and Fudala, 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.
Flagler took a 3-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1, scoring on a bases-loaded hit batsman, Dagmar Pena's RBI single, and a double play.
The Bearcats pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the first after Skinner singled and Owens walked. The pair pulled off a double steal and scored on Hernandez's double to right center.
Lander took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the third on Skinner's RBI double, Abreu's run-scoring single, and Tebaldi's bases-loaded hit batsman.
The Saints tied it in the top of the fourth on Payne Maddox's RBI double and Fudala's run-scoring single, making it 5-all.
The Bearcats regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when Ridlehoover singled, stole second, moved to third on the catcher's errant throw, and scored on Skinner's ground out, making it 6-5.
Flagler took the lead back with seven runs in the top of the fifth, including Coverston's three-run homer over the left-field fence early in the inning, a two-out bases-loaded error and hit batsman, and a two-run double by Bove, giving the Saints a 12-6 lead. A third runner attempting to score on Bove's hit was thrown out at the plate by Lander center fielder Lanier. Four of the seven runs were unearned.
The Bearcats had chances to get back into the game, getting the first two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth and loading the bases with one out in the eighth, but failed to score in both cases.
Lander scored twice in the ninth when Hernandez reached on an infield popup that the Saints failed to catch and scored on Tebaldi's two-run homer over the left-field fence, his second home run of the season.
Heath Storey (2-0) was the winning pitcher in relief for Flagler. Storey relieved Saints starter Johnny Gaines with two on and nobody out in the fifth, got out of the jam and pitched the rest of the game. Gaines allowed six runs, three earned, on seven hits while striking out five, walking two and hitting three batters in four innings of work. Storey allowed two runs on five hits while striking out seven and walking one over the final five innings.
Drew Elliott (0-2) took the loss for the Bearcats, allowing 12 runs, eight earned, on eight hits while striking out four, walking five and hitting two batters in 4.2 innings. Derek Whaley was a bright spot on the mound for Lander, pitching 4.1 innings of shutout relief on three hits while striking out five and walking two.
Leading hitters for Flagler in Game 1 were Bove, 2-for-4, with two runs scored and two RBI; Sgromolo, 2-for-4 with an RBI; and Coverston, 1-for-4 with a homer, two runs and three RBI.
Leading hitters for Lander in Game 1 were Tebaldi, 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI; Skinner, 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBI; Abreu, 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI; and Hernandez, 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
