GREENWOOD - It took 12 innings, coming back from two separate two-run deficits in their final at-bat, and 215 pitches from Bailey Pattison but the Lander Softball team picked up a 7-6 win on Saturday evening over the Georgia College and State University Bobcats at Doug Spears Field off a walk-off double from Abbie Behe.
Lander improved to 21-7 overall and 7-3 in PBC play while the Bobcats dropped to 18-15 overall and 2-8 in conference play. The win was Lander's first of the PBC slate in the single game of the series, all six of the Bearcats' wins in conference play coming in were via doubleheader sweeps.
Every Bearcat that got an at-bat reached base at least once. Logan Coward led the way with three hits while Emily Allen hit two home runs.
The first three innings were quiet offensively except for the Bobcats loading the bases in the second inning with two outs but a 3-4 putout ended any hope of a rally.
Then Georgia College broke through in the fourth with an RBI double then added two more in the fifth with a pair of RBI singles.
The Bearcats broke the ice in the bottom of the fifth with Allen's first home run of the day just to the left of the scoreboard in dead center to make it 3-1.
However, the visitors got that run right back in the sixth with another RBI single. Lander responded with an RBI groundout to cut the deficit to two going into the seventh.
After Pattison struck out the side in the top half, the Bearcats had three outs to get at least two runs.
Two batters later the game was tied.
Raquel Camuglia led off the inning with a solo shot to right center field on a 1-2 count to make it 4-3. Then four pitches later, Coward sent a ball to the parking lot behind the left field fence to tie the game.
Allen reached on an error to put the winning run on base with no outs but was put out on a fielder's choice that saw the Bobcats nail Rylee Omahen at second trying to advance on an errant throw and we went to extra innings.
Both teams stranded a runner in the eighth inning. Then in the ninth, the Bobcats struck with a two-run homer two batters in but the Bearcats repeated that feat in the bottom of the inning as this time it was Allen playing hero with her second home run of the game off the light pole in left-center to tie the game at six.
Georgia College had another chance to take the lead in the tenth with a runner at second and one out but a diving stop by Behe only allowed the runner to advance to third before a 9-3 putout by Allen kept the visitors off the scoreboard.
Right after cracking 200 pitches thrown, Pattison struck out two in the tenth and then kept the Bobcats scoreless in the 11th and 12th to keep giving Lander chances to walk it off
Then in the bottom of the 12th, they rewarded her work.
Bella Angeli led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sac bunt by Linda Moore. That brought up Abbie Behe who laced a double to the wall to score Angeli and send the Bearcats home winners.
The two teams will complete the series tomorrow with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at noon.
