GREENWOOD – Thirty-three runs, 31 hits, 19 walks, seven hit batsmen... and that was just the first game. The second game, however, was much different.

North Greenville University's Allen Staton had seven RBI and was the winning pitcher in late relief as the Crusaders won a wild opener 18-15 in Lander's first home baseball game of the season Saturday afternoon at Stephen B. Dolny Stadium.

But Bearcats pitcher Logan Pemberton emphatically turned the day around with a strong performance in Game 2, pitching Lander to an 8-1 victory and a double-header split. The Bearcats' Erik Lunde reached base 10 times on the day, five times in each game.

The Bearcats, who won 16-6 on Friday, won the three-game series.

Pemberton, a Spartanburg Methodist transfer, struck out nine and walked none over seven shutout innings in his Lander debut. He allowed only six hits. Jeremy Jansen pitched the final two innings, allowing one unearned run while striking out three.

It was a welcome effort after a wild four-hour plus opener as the nightcap ended in two hours and 25 minutes on a cold afternoon that turned into evening.

North Greenville had a 2-1 lead after the first inning of Game 1, and it was only the beginning. Staton had an RBI single and Andrew Lawrence a run-scoring double for the Crusaders in the top of the inning, and Lander's Graham Ramos led off the bottom of the first with a double and scored on Weston Lawing's single.

Lander's first big hit of the day came in the bottom of the second when Patrick Grady smashed a two-out, three-run double over the center fielder's head, scoring Chris Hyatt, Austin Dunn and Lunde for a 4-2 Bearcats lead.

North Greenville regained the lead in the top of the third, with Staton's sacrifice fly, Frank Polino's RBI single, and John Reinholz's two-run triple giving the visitors a 6-4 advantage.

The Bearcats jumped back in front, 7-6, with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Lawing was hit by a pitch, Colby Painter singled, Hyatt's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up, Dunn smacked a two-run single, and pinch hitter Jacob Tisdale drilled a go-ahead RBI double.

The lead switched hands again in the top of the sixth when North Greenville scored three times for a 9-7 advantage. The Crusaders loaded the bases with no one out and Josh Sealey scored the tying run on a wild pitch. Lander reliever Ryan Jones, who replaced starting hurler Kyle Tate after the first two batters reached, almost got out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts. But Adam Taylor hit a two-run triple off the top of the right-field wall to push the visitors back out in front.

True to form, the lead switched sides once again in the bottom of the sixth when the Bearcats scored six runs, four unearned. Painter and Lawing walked, and Hyatt moved the runners up on a bunt for the second consecutive inning. Dunn hit a two-run double, Ramos reached on an error that would have been the third out, Lunde walked, Grady rocketed a two-run double that ricocheted off Crusaders third baseman Sealey's face (he stayed in the game), and Connor Lewis added a two-run single for a 13-9 Lander lead.

But the lead did not hold up.

North Greenville pulled within 13-12 with three runs in the top of the eighth on Staton's two-run double and Lawrence's run scoring single. Bearcats reliever Cam Hokanson got the final out of the inning.

Crusaders left fielder Tyler Mitchell made a nice diving catch in left field with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to keep it a one-run game. That would prove to be important.

North Greenville moved out front, 15-13, with three runs in the top of the ninth. After two walks and a Mitchell infield single that loaded the bases, Taylor hit a potential double play grounder that resulted in one out, but the shortstop's relay throw sailed over the first baseman's head to score two runs and give the Crusaders a 14-13 lead. Staton followed with an RBI double over the center fielder's head.

Lander tied it at 15-all with two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Painter singled, Jeff May walked, Aaron Poole hit a pinch-hit RBI single, and Ramos plated the tying run with an RBI fielder's choice.

But North Greenville took an 18-15 lead in the top of the 10th with Staton capping the rally with a two-run double.

Leading hitters in Game 1 for Lander were Grady, 2-for-3 with two doubles and five RBI; Dunn 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI; Painter 3-for-6 with three runs; Hyatt two crucial sacrifice bunts that set up several runs; and Lunde reached five times on three walks and two hit by pitches. Lewis had two RBI and Lawing, Ramos and Lunde each scored twice. The Bearcats drew 10 walks and six hit by pitches.

Leading hitters for North Greenville in Game 1 were Staton who was 4-for-7 with seven RBI; Lawrence went 3-for-5 with two RBI; Reinholz was 2-for-5 with a triple and two RBI; and Taylor went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Mitchell was 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Polino went 2-for-6. The Crusaders also drew nine walks.

Staton was the winning pitcher after moving to the mound from first base, and Hokanson took the loss.

Lander took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Game 2 when Lunde was hit by another pitch, moved to third on an errant pickoff throw, and scored on Grady's sacrifice fly to center.

The Bearcats increased their lead to 5-0 in the second on Ramos's sacrifice fly, Lunde's RBI single, and Lawing's two-run double.

Lander had an opportunity to extend its lead in the fourth when it had the bases loaded and no one out on two walks and its 10th hit batsman of the afternoon. But North Greenville's Tyler Wirsu retired the next three batters to escape the jam.

The Crusaders threatened in the top of the fifth after the first two batters reached on a hit batsman and single. But Pemberton struck out the next batter, then third baseman Painter turned a nice double play by stepping on third and throwing to first.

As a cold rain began to blow across the field, Pemberton continued to pitch well. After allowing a leadoff single in the sixth, he struck out the side.

The Bearcats increased their lead to 7-0 in the bottom of the sixth when Lewis singled, Lawing doubled, and Painter drilled a two-run single up the middle.

Pemberton kept his shutout intact in the seventh thanks in part to a 3-6-3 double play turned in by first baseman Lewis and shortstop Ramos.

Lander added a run in the bottom of the seventh when Lunde reached base for the fifth time, on a bloop double, and scored on Grady's line drive single to left.

Then Jansen finished the game off to give the Bearcats a series win.

Leading hitters for the Bearcats in Game 2 were Lunde, 2-for-2 with two runs; Lewis, 2-for-3; Lawing, 2-for-4 with two RBI; and Painter, 1-for-3 with two RBI.