AUGUSTA, Ga. – Dylan Wolchick struck out 10 batters Friday evening to lead the No. 5-ranked Lander baseball team to a 7-1 Peach Belt Conference victory over Augusta State at Lake Olmstead Park in the first game of their PBC series.

Lander improves to 19-4 overall and 11-2 in the PBC, while Augusta State drops to 9-15, 3-7. The two teams will complete the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Wolchick improved to 5-1 overall and allowed just one run on seven hits in eight innings pitched.

Augusta State's David Bermudez (5-1) suffered his first loss of the season with one strikeout, three walks and two earned runs on five hits in six innings.

The Bearcats took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Colby Painter singled, advanced to second on a walk, to third on a fielder's choice, then stole home. Lander stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth after Ian Harvey drove in Aaron Poole, and Jacob Tisdale scored on Graham Ramos' groundout.

The Jaguars cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom half of the inning on Kevin Dodson's RBI single.

Lander finished up its scoring with four runs in the eighth. Connor Lewis scored from third on an error, Weston Lawing was forced home on a balk, Harvey drove in Poole, and Chris Hyatt's RBI single plated Tisdale.

For Lander, Harvey batted 2-for-4, while Ramos, Hyatt and Lewis all went 2-for-5.

Logan South went 3-for-4 for the Jaguars.