MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Lander baseball team claimed its Peach Belt Conference series against No. 21 Georgia College Monday afternoon when the Bearcats won the first game, 5-4, and dropped the second, 6-5, in a doubleheader at John Kurtz Field. Lander had defeated the Bobcats on Sunday, 10-0.
Lander improves to 13-6 overall and 4-2 in the PBC, while Georgia College drops to 10-9, 3-3.
In the first game, Lander's Kyle Tate (2-0) earned the win with one strikeout, two walks and one earned run on one hit in 1.1 innings pitched. Ross Davis earned his second save of the season as he struck out one and allowed just one hit in 1.2 innings against five batters faced. Todd Hughson started the game and struck out seven, walked four and allowed two earned runs on six hits in six complete innings.
Georgia College's Taylor Hart (0-1) took the loss after striking out one, and allowing one earned run on one hit in 1.1 innings pitched.
Lander took a 2-0 lead in the fifth when Erik Lunde, who reached on an error, later scored on a wild pitch and AJ Nunziato followed him home on another error.
Georgia College cut the Lander led to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning when Tanner Funk scored on a fielder's choice.
Lander stretched the margin to 4-1 in the sixth on Jeff May's RBI single and Ian Harvey's sacrifice fly.
But Georgia College trimmed the lead to 4-3 in the sixth when Matthew Robinson's sacrifice fly plated Josh Young and Karsten Strieby scored on a passed ball. The Bobcats tied the game at 4-4 in the seventh on Young's fielder's choice RBI.
Lander produced the winning run in the eighth when Colby Painter singled to the right side, scoring Jordan Owens.
For Lander, Weston Lawing (1-for-5) and Owens (4-for-4) both doubled.
In the second game, the Bobcats rallied for six runs in the eighth inning to claim the win on Young's two-RBI double, Seth Bancroft's two-RBI single, and RBI singles by Bryce Williams and Strieby.
Lander had taken a 5-0 lead in the sixth when Nunziato and Painter both scored on an error, Lawing's RBI single plated Kevin Starr and Patrick Grady, and Owens went home on Harvey's sacrifice fly.
Lander's Grady (1-2) suffered the loss with two strikeouts, one walk and six runs (none earned) on six hits in 1.1 innings pitched.
Georgia College's Zack Hula (1-0) earned the win with one hit in 2.1 innings pitched.
Lawing and Painter batted 2-for-4 for Lander, while the Bobcats' Young went 2-for-4.
