HARDEEVILLE, S.C. - The Lander Softball team came back from trailing on four separate occasions to tie the game or take the lead but a bases loaded hit by pitch in the bottom of the seventh proved to be the difference as the Bearcats fell to the Sand Sharks of USC Beaufort, 11-10, on Saturday afternoon on the east coast of South Carolina.
Lander drops to 12-4 overall, 2-2 in PBC play while USCB improves to 10-6 overall, 1-3 in PBC play.
The Sand Sharks got out to a 4-0 lead with a four-run second inning but the Bearcats tied the game up in the top of the third with a Gracie Derrick sacrifice fly and a Raquel Camugila three-run blast.
USCB got three back in the bottom of the inning with two home runs but once again Lander responded with four in the top of the fourth with RBIs from Saje Jones, Bella Angeli, and Abbie Behe to give Lander an 8-7 lead. However, the back-and-forth nature of the game continued as the Sand Sharks took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth and lead 9-8.
In the fifth inning Jones tied the game with an RBI double down the left field line but the Sand Sharks got the lead back on a wild pitch and led 10-9 after five.
Angeli tied the game back up with a solo shot in the sixth before Alyssa Grimes held USCB off the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning to send the game to the seventh tied at ten.
However, after a scoreless top of the seventh from Lander, the Sand Sharks loaded the bases and were able to score the winning run on a hit by pitch to take the win.
The two teams return to the diamond tomorrow for a doubleheader scheduled for a 1:00 PM first pitch for game one with game two following shortly thereafter.
