GREENWOOD – Lander softball coach Glen Crawford earned his first two victories in the Bearcat dugout Saturday afternoon when his team swept Converse College, 8-1 and 8-0, in a chilly non-conference doubleheader at Doug Spears Field.

Lander improves to 2-2 overall, while first-year team Converse opens the year at 0-2.

In the first game, the Bearcats' McKenzi Ferguson (1-0) earned the win, striking out eight, walking one and allowing no earned runs on four hits in the complete seven innings.

Converse's Marissa Steadman (0-1) suffered the loss after striking out two, walking three and allowing six earned runs on six hits in six innings pitched.

The Valkyries took the early 1-0 lead in the fifth inning after Shelby Bullock doubled and later scored on a Bearcat throwing error.

Lander came back with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Casey Kent's RBI double scored Kelli McCormack, Dariean Ward and Kent went home on a throwing error, and Halie Sorrow singled in MaKenzie Smith and Reychel Webster.

The Bearcats scored their final runs in the sixth when Ward blasted a solo homer to centerfield, Smith scored on a throwing error, and Madison Moore drove in Destiny Clyde.

In the second game, the Bearcats Hannah Newton (1-1) earned the win after striking out two, walking five and allowing two hits in five innings pitched.

The Valkyries' Morgan Marlow (0-1) took the loss, walking three and allowing four earned runs on three hits in two innings.

Chandler Carey's two-run triple gave Lander a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then the Bearcats stretched the margin to 4-0 in the second on Emily Marousek's two-RBI single.

The Bearcats made it 5-0 in the third on Ward's RBI double.

Lander finalized the scoring in the fourth when Clyde stroked an RBI double then went home on a fielding error, and pinch runner Bryanna Vasquez scored on Carey's sacrifice fly.

For Lander, Smith batted 2-for-2.