GREENWOOD – The Lander baseball team scored nine runs in the final two innings to erase a three-run deficit and defeat rival Erskine, 12-10, on Thursday afternoon at Dolny Stadium.

Lander (1-0) has now won nine of its last 11 meetings against the Flying Fleet (0-1)

The Bearcats grabbed an early lead as Walker McDowell drew a walk to open the game, then advanced to third on a Roury Glanton double. Landon Dupert's ground out plated McDowell to give Lander a 1-0 lead. 

Erskine knotted the score in the bottom of the first on a solo home run from Livan Reinoso, then took advantage of two Bearcat errors in the bottom of the third to score three runs and build a 4-1 lead.

Lander pulled within one on a pair of solo shots from Glanton and Evan Harold in the top of the sixth, but Erskine responded with a two-run triple from Cody Forster in the bottom of the seventh to push its advantage to 6-3. 

In the top of the eighth, Ethan Wilder started the Bearcat rally, doubling home two runs in his first career at-bat to cut the Fleet lead to 6-5. Matthew Burgess followed with an RBI groundout to tie the score. 

Lander broke the game open in the top of the ninth as McDowell walked and Glanton singled to open the frame. Mke Fitschen singled home McDowell and Glanton came home two batters later on an RBI groundout from Ward Betts to give Lander an 8-6 lead. Wilder followed with an RBI single and, after Bradley Davis reached on an error and Burgess walked to load the bases, Hayden Boyette slapped a single up the middle to score Wilder and Davis before Burgess raced home after Boyette drew a throw breaking for second. 

Trailing 12-6 in the bottom of the ninth, Erskine rallied for four runs before Zeke Stephens closed the door to give Lander the rivalry win.

Praise Thorsen tossed 0.2 scoreless hitless innings of relief to earn the win for Lander, while Stephens followed suit with his own hitless 0.2 ininngs for the save. 

Lander returns to action on Saturday afternoon as the Bearcats host the Fleet at 2:00 p.m. at Dolny Stadium. 

#cLawsUp | @LanderBaseball