GREENWOOD – Jordan Owens hit a game-winning double in the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting the Lander Bearcats to a 6-5 victory in the first game Saturday. Georgia Southwestern came back to win the second game, 7-2, splitting the Peach Belt Conference double-header at Legion Field.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the series Sunday at 1 o'clock at Legion Field.
Lander is 21-17 overall, 8-8 in the Peach Belt. The Hurricanes are 22-15, 9-8.
The Bearcats won Saturday's opener despite giving up 19 hits, with Georgia Southwestern's Jared Allen going 5-for-5. But Owens also had a big game, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two stolen bases and three RBI, including the game-winning hit.
The Hurricanes won Game 2 behind the pitching of Zach Whitman and finished with 32 hits in the two games.
Georgia Southwestern took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of Game 1 when John Duran hit a leadoff single, stopped at third on Andrew Anderson's single, and scored on Andrew Archer's single. Allen singled home Anderson with the first of his five hits.
Lander tied it with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jacob Tisdale walked, Patrick Grady singled, and Erik Lunde and Owens had RBI singles.
The Hurricanes answered with three runs in the top of the sixth, grabbing a 5-2 lead. Anderson and Allen singled, and Corey Benson, Zach Moss and Heath Lock smacked RBI singles.
The Bearcats stormed back with three in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5. AJ Nunziato started the rally with the first of three doubles. Robert Skinner hit an RBI double to right, Owens hit a run-scoring double to deep center, and Cody McAlhaney lifted a game-tying sacrifice fly to right.
Owens walked, stole second, and moved to third on a ground out in the bottom of the ninth but was left stranded, and the game went into extra innings.
After Georgia Southwestern stranded two runners after their 18th and 19th hits of the game in the top of the 11th, the Bearcats won it in the bottom of the 11th.
Lunde was hit by a pitch on the first pitch of the inning. Lunde moved to second on Skinner's bunt, and scored easily on a double to deep right by Owens.
Ross Davis, who entered the game with one out in the ninth, got the win for Lander, evening his record at 1-1. Gray Carden took the loss for the Hurricanes. Starting pitchers Cory Hopper of the Bearcats and Trent Franzago of Georgia Southwestern each worked six innings.
In addition to Owens' three hits, Lunde was 2-for-4, Skinner went 2-for-5, and Nunziato was 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
Georgia Southwestern had five players with multiple hits including Allen's five hits. Benson went 3-for-5, Duran and Michael Coffey were each 3-for-6, and Anderson was 2-for-6.
The Hurricanes continued to hit at the start of Game 2, stringing together five hits in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead. Stephen Gaylor and Coffey had singles, and Archer, Benson and Anderson hit RBI singles.
Lander answered with one in the bottom of the first when Nunziato doubled, moved to third on Lunde's single, and scored when Owens reached on a fielder's choice.
The Hurricanes broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fifth, most of which were unearned. Moss had an RBI double, Lock reached on a two-out error to score a run, Gaylor hit an RBI triple that was misjudged in right field, and Duran lofted an RBI single to short left that glanced off the shortstop's glove.
Gaylor's spectacular diving catch on Lunde's sinking liner in the bottom of the sixth continued to keep the Bearcats off the scoreboard. Lander did get one run in the inning when Skinner walked, moved to second when Owens singled, stopped at third when Kevin Childs walked, and scored on McAlhaney's single. But Jeff May hit into a double play to end the rally.
The Bearcats didn't threaten in the seventh and eighth, and got a pair of two-out hits in the ninth.
Whitman (4-3) was the winning pitcher, allowing seven hits and coming within one out of a complete game. Hunter Thompson recorded the final out for the Hurricanes. Brandon Farquhar (3-2) took the loss for Lander, while Michael White and Scott Elitzky finished up.
Leading hitters in Game 2 for the Hurricanes were Gaylor, 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs; Duran and Benson, 2-for-5; and Anderson, 2-for-4.
Nunziato was Lander's leading hitter, going 2-for-3 with a double.
