GREENWOOD – Lander got strong starting pitching from Cory Hopper and Chris Thomas, and Erik Lunde reached base seven times as the Bearcats swept a Peach Belt Conference double-header from a ranked team for the second weekend in a row, beating No. 17 USC Aiken 4-1 and 9-1 Saturday afternoon at Legion Field.
Lander improved to 13-9 overall and remained undefeated in conference play, improving to 4-0. The Pacers fell to 13-8, 1-4.
The two teams will meet again Sunday at 1 o'clock at Legion Field.
The Bearcats swept then No. 3-ranked UNC Pembroke last weekend at Legion Field.
Hopper pitched 7.1 innings of three-hit ball in the first game while Thomas scattered six hits over eight innings in Game 2. Each allowed only one run, with Hopper's run being unearned.
Lunde reached base three times in the opener and four times in the second game, collecting three hits, three walks and a hit batsman.
Lander took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 when Lunde singled, Jordan Owens and Jeff May walked to load the bases, and Pete Hernandez hit a two-out, two-run single to right.
J.J. Loker reached on a two-base error and scored on Matt Key's double to pull the Pacers within 2-1 in the top of the second. But Aiken would not score the rest of the game.
The Bearcats took advantage of two more walks in the bottom of the second, taking a 3-1 lead on Skinner's RBI single.
Lander increased its lead to 4-1 in the fifth with Lunde starting the rally with a single. He moved to third on a single by Owens, and scored on May's double over the center fielder's head. It would be the final run of the game.
Hopper (5-0) was the winning pitcher, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven and walking two in 7.1 innings of work. Jay Robinson finished for his first career save, pitching 1.2 innings of shutout relief. Robinson allowed one hit and struck out one.
Thomas McLeod (3-3) took the loss for Aiken, allowing four runs on five hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out five but walked four. Jeremy Smith pitched the rest of the way, allowing only one hit in 3.2 scoreless innings including three strikeouts and one walk.
Lunde was Lander's leading hitter in Game 1, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Hernandez went 1-for-3 with two RBI while May was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Stephen Carmon led the Pacers, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases.
Aiken took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 when Teddy Leverett singled, stole second and scored on Loker's single. But the lead was short-lived.
The Bearcats took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first on RBI singles by May and Joe Tebaldi.
Lander increased its lead to 4-1 in the second when Marshall Creed was hit by a pitch, AJ Nunziato singled, and Lunde hit a two-run double to the left-center gap.
Bearcats left fielder Alan Abreu made a big play in the fifth. Tripp Warrick singled and moved around to third when Carmon hit a fly ball to left. Warrick tried to score, but Abreu threw a strike to Tebaldi for the final out of the inning.
Abreu contributed at the plate in the sixth, belting a two-out double to left and scoring on Creed's single to give Lander a 5-1 lead.
The Bearcats added four runs in the eighth on a two-run single by Owens, and bases-loaded walks to Skinner and Patrick Grady.
Thomas (4-1) was the winning pitcher, allowing one run on six hits in eight innings. He struck out four and walked two. Ross Davis pitched a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Jason Cochcroft (2-1) took the loss for the Pacers, allowing four runs on five hits in only one inning of work.
But Aiken's second pitcher was impressive. Houston Taylor struck out 12 Lander hitters and walked none in six innings of relief. He allowed one run on four hits. Taylor Peed and Joe Tart finished the game for the Pacers.
Leading hitters for the Bearcats in Game 2 were Nunziato, 3-for-5 with two runs scored; Owens, 2-for-5 with two RBI; Creed, 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI; Lunde, 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBI; and Skinner, 1-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Leverett, Warrick and Josh Miller each had two hits for Aiken.
