GREENWOOD – The Lander softball team hit five home runs and rode the arm of McKenzi Ferguson to a doubleheader sweep of Southern Wesleyan on Tuesday night at Doug Spears Field. Lander won the first game 4-0 and the second game 12-7.

Lander improves to 15-23, while Southern Wesleyan drops to 6-24.

In the first game, Ferguson (9-10), who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, earned the win after tying her career high with 13 strikeouts in the complete seven innings.

SWU's Josie Edwards (3-9) suffered the loss after striking out one, walking three and allowing four runs on four hits in 5.2 innings pitched.

Lander took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a solo home run from Surrento, her sixth long ball of the season. 

The scored remained 1-0 until the sixth inning when Surrento drew a bases loaded walk with two outs. Chandler Carey followed with an RBI double down the left field line to increase the Bearcat lead to 2-0. A dropped fly ball allowed Katie Painter to score after coming on to pinch run for Carey and Molly McNulty ended the scoring with an RBI single to right field. 

For Lander, Carey batted 2-for-3.

In the second game, Ferguson earned her second win of the day with five strikeouts, allowing just two hits in 3.1 innings. She extended her scoreless streak to 24.2 innings.

The Warriors' Natalie Johnson (1-2) took the loss after she walked four and allowed five runs on one hit in 1.1 innings of work.

Southern Wesleyan jumped out to a 2-0 on an RBI single from Lizzie Fela and a rundown that allowed Lexi Thompson to score from third.

Lander tied the game in the bottom of the second on a two-run homer from Casey Kent, but the Warriors answered in the top of the third on Fela's two-run shot. 

The home runs continued for the Bearcats with back-to-back-to-back homers from Surrento, Carey and Jamie Pisel to give Lander a 5-4 lead. The solo shot from Pisel was her first career home run. 

SWU took the lead back in the top of the fourth on a three-run blast from Sara Sweatt.

Trailing 7-5 in the bottom of the fourth, Lander loaded the bases with two outs. Carey and Pisel drew consecutive walks to bring home two runs to tie the score at 7-7. A misplayed single from Halie Sorrow then rolled all the way to the wall, bringing home three more Bearcat runs.

Lander increased its lead on an RBI groundout from Pisel and an RBI single from Sorrow in the bottom of the sixth. 

For Lander, Sorrow batted 3-for-4, while Pisel went 1-for-2 with a career-high three RBI.