GREENWOOD – Down to their final out, the Lander Baseball team walked off the USC Beaufort Sand sharks 5-4 with a two-run home run from Landon Dupert to take the first game of the series.
Lander improves to 2-6 overall and 1-0 in the PBC while USC Beaufort drops to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in the PBC.
Jackson Hoshour, Will McClellan, Ethan Wilder and Gary Garrett all led the team with two hits each. Dupert led the team with two RBIs while McClellan had one.
Lander was first to score as the home side took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. After Hoshour started the inning with a single and a stolen base, he'd come home to score on a McClellan double to left. Wilder would score the second run of the inning as McClellan scored to give Lander a 2-0 edge.
USC Beaufort would counter with three runs in the top of the second with a ground out and a pair of RBI singles scored the three Sand Sharks.
Another ground out in the third would plate yet another Sand Shark to give the visitors a 4-2 lead.
Neither side was able to score in the fourth or fifth.
Lander would break the scoring drought with an RBI single up the middle from Garrett that scored Wilder from second to make it a 4-3 contest in the bottom of the sixth.
It wouldn't be until the ninth that any more runs would score.
The Bearcats would see a one-out double from McClellan to get the tying run aboard. Dawson Campbell would come into the game to pinch run. Down to their final out, the Bearcats would send Landon Dupert who'd bash his first hit of the night over the right field fence to walk Lander off with a 5-4 victory.
Nick Foray got the start against the Sand Sharks and went four innings. Foray allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits while walking and striking out four. Braeden Burton and Zach Pellegrino threw a combined four innings of scoreless relief with Pellegrino striking out three. Tyler Overholt picked up his first win of the season after dealing a scoreless inning in the top of the ninth that featured two strikeouts
Lander and USC Beaufort resume the PBC series Saturday, February 18 for a 2 pm start.
Keep up to date with your Bearcats and never miss a moment of the action! Follow Lander athletics on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for continued updates! #cLawsUp