GREENWOOD - The Lander Softball team got a walk off single from Sam Bumgarner in game one and then used a trio of three-RBI performances in game two to sweep a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader over the Columbus State Cougars on Friday evening at Doug Spears Field. The walk off gave Lander a 4-3 win in game one and then the Bearcats plated 11 in the second game taking it 11-5.

The doubleheader sweep marks the first time since 2010 that the Bearcats have swept the Cougars in a twin bill and the 11 runs scored in game two were the most scored by Lander against Columbus State in a single game since 1996.

With the two wins, Lander wins their third straight PBC series to open the conference slate, improving to 18-4 overall and 6-2 in PBC play. Meanwhile, the Cougars dropped their first two conference games of the season and now sit at 13-11 overall and also 6-2 in PBC play.

Abbie Behe collected five hits across the two games and drove home five as well while Gracie Derrick and Emily Allen each collected four hits. 

Game 1: Lander 4, Columbus State 3

Columbus State struck first, scoring two in the first and another in the third on a solo home run but Behe got two of those runs back as she lined a ball over the right center field fence to cut the deficit down to 3-2. 

Naya Jones came home on a wild pitch in the fourth to tie the game at three and Behe was intentionally walked to put runners at first and second with one out but back to back fielder's choices kept the score tied.

After the home run in the third inning, Bailey Pattison held the Cougars to two hits the rest of the way to hold the visitors off the scoreboard en route to her ninth win of the season.

With a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the seventh, Behe opened the inning with a single and was pinch ran for by Linda Moore, who then advanced to second on a pass ball and then to third on a groundout. Bumgarner then entered the game to pinch hit and delivered a single up the middle to give Lander the win.


Game 2: Lander 11, Columbus State 5

Unlike in game one, this time it was Lander who opened the scoring as Derrick came home off a throwing error off a sacrifice attempt by Bella Angeli who then came around and scored on a Logan Coward single to give Lander a 2-0 lead after one.

Columbus State tied the game in the second but Emily Allen deposited a homer over the right center field fence to give Lander the lead back at 4-2. Behe then added another with an RBI single to score Naya Jones and the Blue and Gold led 5-2 after two innings.

Columbus State got the lead back down to one in the third but Lander got those runs back with RBI singles from Allen and Behe in the third and fourth to make it 7-4.

The Cougars got one final run in the fifth but Lander poured it on in the bottom of the inning as Angeli came up with the bases loaded and cleared them with a double to the wall to make it 10-5. Behe then added another RBI to make it 11-5 and Mattye Geddings and Alyssa Grimes relieved Taylor Scott after four innings and held the Cougars to only one run to close out the game.

The series concludes tomorrow with a single game now scheduled for 4:00 PM at Doug Spears Field. Read Full Article