GREENWOOD – Lander shortstop AJ Nunziato's two-out single in the bottom of the 10th inning scored the winning run, giving the Bearcats their first-ever victory at Stephen B. Dolny Stadium, 2-1, over Newberry College Saturday night.
After Newberry won the inaugural game at Dolny Stadium Friday night, Lander outlasted the Wolves Saturday to set up the rubber game Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock.
Bearcats center fielder Ian Harvey led off the 10th with a single up the middle, but Erik Lunde fouled out to the catcher on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and Patrick Grady struck out.
Jordan Owens kept the inning alive with a single to deep left center that Newberry outfielder Kevin Rufus cut off, holding Harvey at third. Then Nunziato singled to the left of the Wolves third baseman for the game-winner.
Nunziato's hit made a winner of Patrick Grady, who was outstanding in relief for Lander, while also driving in the Bearcats' first run. The sophomore, making just his third career appearance on the mound, pitched six scoreless innings. Grady (1-0) allowed four hits and struck out five after starting the game in left field. He entered the game in the fifth and finished it.
Tanner Petrey (0-1) took the loss for Newberry.
Harvey and Grady were Lander's leading batters with two hits apiece. Rufus went 3-for-4 to pace the Wolves.
Newberry had two walks, two hits and two stolen bases in the top of the first inning off Bearcats starting pitcher Chris Thomas but settled for just one run on Albert Baur's RBI single, which scored Rufus. The Wolves left the bases loaded.
Newberry left two more runners on in the second, and Hunter Cox singled and was bunted to second in the third when Bearcats shortstop Nunziato went to his right, deep in the hole, and made an impressively strong throw to get Evan Darr out at first for the final out.
Lander tied it in the third when Lunde looped a single to left and scored on Grady's double to left center, sliding past the catcher's tag attempt.
The Wolves left two more runners on base in the fourth, giving them eight runners stranded already.
Neither team threatened much in the middle innings although Newberry's Wilbur Caldwell hit a two-out double in the fifth and Lander's Weston Lawing walked and reached second base in the seventh.
Newberry's Rufus hit a one-out double in the top of the ninth, but Grady got the final two outs on a strikeout and a grounder to second.
The Bearcats had a major threat in the bottom of the ninth when Jeff May doubled into the left-field corner off new Wolves pitcher Petrey. But Petrey got the next three hitters on a ground out to short, a soft liner to short, and a fly ball to left, leaving pinch runner Mario Washington stranded at second.
Lander starting pitcher Thomas went four innings, allowing one earned run on four hits while walking three and striking out four. He also hit two batters and stranded eight Newberry runners. Grady, who pitched only four innings in two relief appearances last year, replaced Thomas.
Newberry starter Wesley Camp tossed four innings, allowing one run on five hits while walking two and striking out four. Freshman Jonathan Rosenberger made his first collegiate appearance for the Wolves and tossed three hitless innings of relief, with one walk and one strikeout. Another freshman, Matt Chapman, pitched a scoreless eighth for Newberry, allowing one hit. Petrey, yet another freshman, gave up one run on four hits in 1.2 innings and had one strikeout.
