GREENWOOD – Sophomore Emily Marousek blasted her first career grand slam, freshman Molly McNulty hit a walk-off home run on her first at bat, and freshman Hannah Newton struck out seven to lead the Lander softball team to a 9-1 win in Game 1 and a sweep against Limestone College in its season-opening non-conference doubleheader Tuesday evening at Doug Spears Field. Lander won the second game, 4-2.

Lander starts the season at 2-0, while Limestone drops to 4-2.

In the first game, Newton (1-0) picked up her first career win, allowing just one run unearned run on two hits in five complete innings.

Limestone's Josie Weber (2-1) suffered the loss with three strikeouts, two walks and four earned runs on three hits in 3.2 innings.

Casey Kent gave Lander a 1-0 lead in the second inning when she reached after getting hit by a pitch, then stole second and advanced home on a throwing error.

Lander exploded for six runs in the third inning. MaKenzie Smith scored on Dariean Ward's fielder's choice, Casey Wooten went home on a bases-loaded walk, then Marousek belted her grand slam to put the Bearcats up 7-0.

Limestone scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning after Bailie Maybry went home on a Lander throwing error.

The Bearcats stretched their lead to 8-1 in the fourth when Ward drove in Wooten with a single to left field. The game ended via the eight-run rule in the fifth on pinch hitter McNulty's walk-off homer to right center field.

Marousek batted 2-for-4 for Lander.

In the second game, Amanda Chastain (1-0) picked up the win with two walks and two hits in four innings. Newton claimed the save after striking out four and walking one in three complete innings.

The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the third after Maybry scored on a throwing error, but Lander tied it up at 1-all in the bottom half when Smith advanced home on a Limestone throwing error.

The Bearcats went up 4-1 in the third after pinch runner Lindsay Newman and Marousek scored on a two-error play, then, with bases loaded, Reychel Webster went home on Wooten's RBI single to right field.

The Saints cut the margin to 4-2 in the fifth when Sam Thornton advanced home on a fielding error.

Wooten went 2-for-3 for the Bearcats.