SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Lander softball team rallied in each game to take the lead against Armstrong Atlantic in their Peach Belt opening series, but both times the Pirates came back to claim the doubleheader, 4-3 and 8-6, Wednesday afternoon.
Armstrong improves to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the PBC, while Lander moves to 6-8 overall and 0-2 in the PBC.
In the first game, Armstrong's Alexis Mercer stroked a first-inning, two-RBI single that scored Shelby Duff and April Jowers, and the Pirates stretched the margin to 3-0 in the third on Mercer's solo home run over the centerfield wall.
The Bearcats tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth on consecutive RBI singles by Arielle Buchholz, Sarah Fuller and Alyssa Hartley.
The Pirates regained the lead at 4-3 in the seventh on Duff's RBI double to centerfield.
Lander's Hayley Leissner (5-4) took the loss, while striking out eight, walking one and allowing three earned runs on nine hits in six innings pitched.
Armstrong's Megan Barnwell (8-1) earned the win by striking out 14, walking one, and allowing three earned runs on six hits in seven innings pitched.
For Lander, Jamie Presnell and Fuller both went 2-for-3 with one double.
For Armstrong, Mercer went 2-for-3 with a homer, Duff and Heather Walker both batted 2-for-3 with one double, and Jowers was 3-for-4.
In the second game, the Pirates again jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Bailie Temples blasted a three-run homer over the centerfield wall in the first inning.
Lander rallied for four fourth-inning runs to take a 4-3 lead when Presnell and Chasity Davis had RBI doubles and Hartley and Casey Corbitt added RBI singles.
The Bearcats stretched the lead to 6-3 in the fifth on Presnell's two-run homer to centerfield.
Armstrong came back in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 7-6 on Whitney Galloway's two-run shot to right centerfield, Brittany Cooley's solo homer to left field and a throwing error that plated Caitlin Campbell.
The Pirates increased their lead to 8-6 in the sixth on Galloway's solo homer to centerfield.
Lander's M.K. Pegram (1-1) suffered the loss after striking out three, walking four and allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings pitched.
Armstrong's Campbell (5-1) was awarded the win after striking out two, and allowing six earned runs on eight hits in five innings of work.
For Lander, Presnell batted 2-for-4 with a homerun, a double, two runs scored and three RBI, and Davis went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.
For Armstrong, Temples (1-for-3), Galloway (2-for-3) and Cooley (2-for-4) all homered, while Jowers batted 3-for-4.
