GREENWOOD - Dagmar Pena homered in the top of the 10th inning and Jonathan Armold pitched a complete game, leading Flagler College to a 4-3 Peach Belt Conference victory over the Lander Bearcats Sunday afternoon at Legion Field.
The Saints threw out the potential tying run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th to clinch the victory and win the PBC series after the teams split a double-header Saturday.
Flagler improved to 23-20 overall and 11-10 in the Peach Belt. Lander fell to 23-19, 6-15.
Pena homered off Bearcats reliever Ben Runyon (2-3) with one out in the 10th, hitting a blast over the left-field fence.
The Bearcats attempted a two-out rally in the bottom of the 10th when Pete Hernandez singled on a two-strike pitch to center field. Hunter Dowis pinch ran for Hernandez and attempted to score on Lanier's single to left when Flagler left fielder Jose Rohena misplayed the ball. But Rohena's cutoff man Cale Owen threw to catcher Payne Maddox, who caught the ball up the line from the plate just as Dowis ran into him, and Dowis was out on the play to end the game.
Arnold (5-1) pitched his first complete game of the season, allowing three runs on 10 hits in 10 innings while striking out eight and walking two.
Lander starter Cory Hopper pitched 7.2 effective innings, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out six and walking one, but he left in a tie game. Christian Brown pitched 1.2 innings of relief before Runyon came in and allowed the game-winning homer.
The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the first when Robert Skinner hit a leadoff double into the left-field corner and scored on Alan Abreu's single to left.
The Saints took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth when Will Percy and Zach Bove each singled and scored on singles by John Sgromolo and Maddox, respectively.
Lander regained the lead in the fifth. Brooks Reames hit a leadoff single and scored on a line drive double to right by Jordan Owens. Lanier followed with an RBI single, giving the Bearcats a 3-2 lead.
Flagler threatened in the top of the sixth when Sgromolo hit a leadoff single and moved to third on Pena's double to right. But the runners had to hold when Maddox grounded out to third baseman Skinner, then after Charlie Stewart flew out to right fielder Ryan McNulty, piitcher Cory Hopper took McNulty's relay throw and gunned Sgromolo down at the plate to preserve Lander's lead.
The Saints tied it in the eighth at 3-all when Bove singled, moved to second and third on bunts, and scored on Maddox's ground out.
Leading hitters for Flagler were Will Percy, 2-for-5; Maddox, 2-for-5, two RBI; Bove, 2-for-5 with two runs scored; Pena, 2-for-4 with a double and homer; and Sgromolo, 2-for-3 with an RBI. Bove was 9-for-15 in the three-game series.
Leading hitters for Lander were Reames, 2-for-3; and Lanier, 2-for-4 with an RBI. Owens, who hit homers in his last three at-bats Saturday, was 1-for-4 with a double and RBI.
