GREENWOOD – The Lander baseball team bounced back from a tough Game 1 loss with an offensive explosion in the nightcap when the Bearcats pushed across 17 runs to gain a split of a Peach Belt Conference double-header against No. 20 Columbus State Saturday at Dolny Stadium.

Lander won the second game 17-4 after losing a late lead in the opener, 10-9.

The 17 runs were scored in just six innings for the Blue and Gold with the second game of a double-header being seven innings. The 17 runs came on 14 hits, seven walks and five hit batsmen.

The teams will battle Sunday at 1 o'clock at Dolny Stadium to decide the three-game series.

The Bearcats are 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the Peach Belt.

The Cougars are 3-1 overall, also 3-1 in the PBC.

The Bearcats lost a 6-1 lead in Saturday's opener and would regain the lead. But Columbus State's Colby Brabston hit a two-out, two-run homer in the top of the ninth and the Cougars held on in the bottom of the ninth to win the opener.

Lander rolled in Game 2 behind a solid starting pitching effort by grad student Marshall Thompson, who improved to 3-1 on the season. He was credited with a complete-game victory, allowing four runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out eight, all swinging, and walked only one.

Thompson was the beneficiary of an offensive outburst that included 11 two-out runs combined in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Evan Harold, Bo Richey and Mason Streater all homered in Game 2.

Lander took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2 when Roury Glanton walked, moved to second on Mike Fitschen's infield single to short, stopped at third when Harold walked, and scored when Ward Betts was hit by a pitch.

Streater got the Bearcats off to a fast start in the second when he lined a leadoff homer over the fence in right, his first of the season. Walker McDowell lined a single to right center, stole second, and scored when Glanton bounced a single up the middle, giving Lander a 3-0 lead.

The Bearcats doubled their lead to 6-0 in the third. Landon Dupert started the rally when he was hit by a pitch and scored on a triple by Betts that bounced just short of the wall in right center. Richey lifted a single to left, plating Betts with Lander's fifth run. Streater walked, Bradley Davis was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and McDowell added an RBI on a fielder's choice.

As was the case in Saturday's opening game, the Cougars were unfazed by their deficit. Robert Brooks was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the fourth, Dane Bullock doubled down the left-field line, and Steven Minter hit a two-run double to right center. Isaac Bouton's RBI single cut Columbus State's deficit to 6-3. But Thompson got the final two outs to keep the Bearcats in front and was in control the rest of the way.

Lander earned its six-run lead back with three two-out runs in the bottom of the fourth. Betts drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on Fitschen's two-out single, Richey walked to load the bases, and Streater walked to force home one run. Davis followed by lining a two-run single to left, increasing the Bearcat lead to 9-3.

Lander broke the game open with four more two-out runs in the fifth. Dupert hit a two-out single up the middle, Harold doubled to left, and Betts followed with a two-run double that one-hopped in front of the fence in right center. Richey capped the rally with his first homer of the season, a two-run blast to center making the score 13-3.

Minter singled and scored on Bouton's triple in the top of the sixth as Columbus State trailed 13-4.

The Bearcats scored four two-out runs yet again in the bottom of the sixth, capped by Harold's three-run homer. McDowell and Fitschen were hit by pitches and pinch batter Justin Wager drove home McDowell with an infield single to second. Harold followed with his second homer of the season, a liner over the fence in right.

Leading hitters in Game 2 for the Blue and Gold were Betts, 3-for-3 with three runs scored, four RBI, a double and triple. Richey went 2-for-3 with a homer, three runs and three RBI. Harold was 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and three RBI.

Bouton, Bullock and Minter had two hits apiece for the Cougars in the second game.

Lander grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third of Game 1 after Streater hit a leadoff single and Matthew Burgess walked. Streater scored when McDowell lined a single to right center, and Burgess came home on Glanton's sacrifice fly.

Bullock's homer to right pulled the Cougars within 2-1 in the top of the fourth. Bearcats right fielder Betts likely saved another run when he reached up and caught a liner before colliding into the fence with one runner on base for the final out of the inning.

Lander made it 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth after Harold hit a leadoff double and Richey walked. On a double steal attempt, Harold was thrown out at third but Richey swiped second. Betts singled past the second baseman to score Richey.

McDowell and Glanton singled and Fitschen walked to load the bases, starting a three-run Lander rally in the fifth. McDowell and Glanton scored on an errant throw when Dupert reached on a fielder's choice. Fitschen scored on Harold's double play grounder, making it 6-1.

Bearcats starting pitcher Justin Walker was cruising until the sixth, allowing only one run on one hit through the first five innings. But Columbus State scored seven runs on six hits in the top of the sixth, grabbing an 8-6 lead. Bullock had an RBI single, Minter a two-run triple, Bouton a run-scoring single, and Nolan Tressler a tie-breaking two-run single.

The Blue and Gold regained a 9-8 lead in the bottom of the sixth on Glanton's three-run homer. Streater hit a leadoff single but was picked off first base. Burgess walked, McDowell singled and Glanton belted a no-doubter over the left-field fence, his third home run of the season.

Lander had an excellent chance to extend its lead in the eighth when Walker and Glanton were hit by pitches and Fitschen reached on an infield single to load the bases with nobody out. But the next three Bearcat hitters struck out.

The Bearcats were one out away from victory after reliever Praise Thorsen retired the first two batters. But Brooks doubled into the left-field corner and Brabston hit an 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence to put the Cougars up 10-9.

Columbus State reliever Brady Kais retired Lander in order in the bottom of the ninth to collect his second save of the season. Zack Brockman (1-0) was credited with the win for the Cougars while Thorsen (1-1) took the loss.

Streater and McDowell were the leading hitters for the Bearcats in Game 1, each going 3-for-4. Glanton went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI.

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