GREENWOOD - The No. 10 Columbus State Cougars spoiled Lander's final weekend at Legion Field, completing a three-game sweep Sunday with an 8-6 and 8-4 Peach Belt Conference double-header victory over the Bearcats on Senior Day. (Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore)
Lander (24-23 overall, 6-18 Peach Belt Conference) honored its three seniors - outfielders Bud Lanier and Devin Ridlehoover and pitcher Drew Elliott - who played their final games for the school.
The Bearcats will be moving to the new Stephen B. Dolny Baseball Stadium at the Jeff May Complex in 2011. Lander played its home games at Legion Field for 13 years, since starting its baseball program in 1998.
Lander broke some school records in 2010 with sophomore Jordan Owens setting single-season marks for home runs (11) and runs batted in (56). The previous home run record was 10, held by Lanier in 2009 and Lucas Erwin in 2001. Tom Darby held the previous RBI record with 54 in 1999. Bearcats junior catcher/designated hitter Pete Hernandez finished the season with 51 RBI.
Robert Skinner set a Lander record for walks in a season with 41, breaking Bob Fenn's previous mark of 40 in 2001. Skinner has also made 148 consecutive starts in his career, and has been in the starting lineup every game since joining the Bearcats in 2008 (53 games in 2008, 48 in 2009, and 47 in 2010). A junior, Skinner can build on his streak in 2011.
Also, Lander freshman outfielder Ryan McNulty was hit by pitches twice Sunday, leaving him one shy of the single-season PBC record of 30 hit by pitches (Deron Spink, Armstrong State, 1994).
The Bearcats' best shot at a victory Sunday came in the second game when they staked Elliott to a 4-0 lead.
Skinner started a two-run rally in the first inning of Game 2 by drawing a walk, stealing second, and scoring on Ridlehoover's double. Hernandez's RBI single plated Ridlehoover, giving Lander a 2-0 lead.
The Bearcats increased their lead to 4-0 in the second. McNulty reached on an error, moved to third on a single by Brooks Reames, and scored on Lanier's sacrifice fly to left. Reames stopped at second on a single by Skinner and scored when Owens lined a single to right.
The Cougars pulled within 4-1 in the top of the third when Eric Skinner walked, moved to second when Eric Weiss walked, and scored on a single by Jason Rogers.
Columbus tied the game at 4-all in the top of the sixth on Logan Foster's two-run single and Aaron Jividen's two-out bases-loaded walk.
The Cougars took an 8-4 lead in the top of the eighth on Jividen's RBI double, two run-scoring wild pitches, and a run-scoring single by Rogers, his 77th RBI of the season.
Columbus reliever Blake Sills (1-0) walked the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Wade Dudley came on to end the threat, recording his ninth save. Lander's second pitcher, Ross Davis (2-4), took the loss.
Leading hitters for Columbus in Game 2 were Rogers, 3-for-5 with two RBI; Jividen, 2-for-3 with two RBI; Ryan Lewis, 2-for-4; and Justin Pharr, 2-for-5.
Leading hitters for the Bearcats in Game 2 were Hernandez, 3-for-4 with an RBI; Owens, 2-for-4 with an RBI; and Reames, 2-for-3.
Columbus State took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1 on Mitch Rider's two-run single. The Cougars added three runs in the second on an RBI single by Alex Montes and a two-run error, making it 5-0.
Columbus State upped its lead to 6-0 in the seventh when Rogers hit his 25th homer of the season, a shot over the center field fence that chased Lander starting pitcher Brandon Farquhar.
The Bearcats ended Thomas Campbell's shutout bid with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Lanier hit a leadoff single, McNulty drew a one-out walk and both runners moved up on a balk. Lanier and McNulty scored on a two-out single by Reames that the right fielder apparently lost in the sun.
Lander pulled within 6-4 in the eighth with a pair of two-out runs. Lanier walked, stole second and scored on Alan Abreu's double. McNulty's bad hop single past third scored Abreu.
Columbus increased its lead to 8-4 in the ninth on RBI singles by Lewis and Rider.
The Bearcats rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but fell short. Skinner singled, Ridlehoover it an RBI double, and Hernandez reached on an error to score the final run.
Campbell (8-2) was the winning pitcher, allowing four runs on nine hits in 7.2 innings, striking out eight and walking two.
Farquhar (6-3) took the loss, allowing six runs, four earned, on five hits in 6.2 innings, fanning six and walking three. Brantley Blalock and Derek Whaley pitched the rest of the way.
Leading hitters for the Cougars were Rider, 2-for-5 with three RBI; Montes and Lewis, each 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI; and Cameron Griffin, 2-for-4.
Skinner was Lander's leading hitter, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Hunter Dowis was 2-for-4 while Reames was 1-for-4 with two RBI.
