Fort Lauderdale, Fla. - Lander scored three unanswered runs to knock off Nova Southeastern 9-8 in 10 innings Friday night. 

Taichi Nakao led off the game with a home run to left field to give Lander the early lead. A two-run homerun by Connor Droze in the second and a solo home run in the fourth extended their lead to four runs. With the Bearcats leading 5-0 after five and a half innings, the Sharks would tie the game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Nova added two more runs in the sixth to take their first lead at 7-5. The two teams traded single runs in the seventh, and the Bearcats would trail by two with six out left. 

Droze led off the eighth with a double down the right-field line and then advanced to third on an infield single by Lowndes Still. Still attempted a stolen base, allowing Droze to score the seventh run for Lander. With no one on base and two outs, Gary Garrett singled, and Nakao drew a walk to put runners on first and second. Garrett stole third base and scored on a throwing error by the Sharks catcher to tie the game at eight. Neither team could scratch a run across and the game headed to extra innings. 

Droze drew a walk to lead the inning off and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A single to left by Dawson Campbell put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Oliver Zohn singled to right field to score pinch runner Jackson Hoshour and give Lander the lead again. 

With a runner at first, with one out in the bottom half of the inning, Tyler Overholt induced the double play to end the game and give Lander the series-opening win. 

Droze led the Bearcats at the plate, going 3-4 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and three RBIs. Ethan Wilder, Will McClellan, Nakao, and Garret had two hits in the win. Joshua Sanchez (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out four in three innings of work. Overholt recorded his third save of the season with a scoreless 10th inning. 

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