GREENWOOD – The Lander softball team held a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning of its second game against Columbus State, but the Cougars rallied for six runs to complete a sweep of the Bearcats on Saturday afternoon. 

Columbus State (17-14, 5-3 PBC) defeated Lander (19-9, 3-3 PBC) 2-0 in game one and 6-2 in game two. 

The Bearcats were stymied in the first game by Darby Demarest (8-7), who limited Lander to two hits with two walks and seven strikeouts in a complete-game effort. Lander's McKenzi Ferguson (13-3) surrendered four runs, including a pair of homers by Kirstin Reynolds, and allowed 10 hits with one walk and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings. 

Halie Sorrow singled home Casey Wooten in the fourth inning of game two to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead and a solo home run from Dariean Ward, her first of the season, in the fifth put Lander up 2-0.

However, the Cougars plated six runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a grand slam from Elizabeth Perdue, to take a 6-2 lead they would not relinquish. 

Brianna Surrento (5-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 4.2 innings. Peyton Sorrells (7-3) earned the win with two hitless innings of relief. 

Lander returns to action on Sunday afternoon with a conference doubleheader against Georgia Southwestern at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.