DUE WEST, S.C. - The Lander baseball team split a doubleheader against rival Erskine to kick off the 2020 season. The Bearcats fell in Game 1 7-6 on a walk-off two-RBI single and used an offensive explosion in Game 2 to down the Flying Fleet 17-6 in six innings, Saturday afternoon at Grier Field.

Lander would score first in the top of the second thanks to a groundout by Colton Yeager that scored Roury Glanton from third.

Erskine would use an RBI double by Kane Fisher and a two-RBI single by Justin Fox to take a 3-1 lead in the second inning of Game 1.

The Bearcats would score five runs in the bottom of the fifth highlighted by a three-run home run by Evan Harold to give them a 6-3 lead. 

Trevor Lesane would rip an RBI single and would later come around to score to cut the deficit to 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth. Drew Yniesta would hit two RBI walk-off single to give Erskine the 7-6 win in Game 1.

Sterling Thomas (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Erskine. Lander reliever Ryan Flores (0-1) took the loss.

The Bearcats would explode for four runs in the first inning of Game 2. The Flying Fleet would answer in the bottom half and score three runs to cut the deficit to one.

Mike Fitschen would collect his second RBI of the game to add a Bearcat run in the second. Lander would use a solo home run by Josh Gregory and a two-run home run by Evan Harold to jump out to a 10-3 lead in the third inning.

Erskine would add a run in the third and two runs in the fifth, but the Bearcats would add seven more runs combine in the fourth, fifth, and sixth inning to clinch the 17-6 win in Game 2

Marshall Thompson (1-0) was the winning pitcher for Lander. Erskine starting pitcher Josh Talton (0-1) allowed five runs in 1.0 inning to take the loss.

The Bearcats will be back in action on Monday when they face rival Erskine in the third and final game of the series. First pitch is set for 5:00 pm at Dolny Stadium.

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