GREENWOOD - The Lander Softball team was shut out for the first time all season as they dropped the rubber match of their Peach Belt Conference series to the North Georgia Nighthawks by a score of 3-0 on Sunday evening at Doug Spears Field. The start of the game was delayed seven hours due to rain in the Greenwood area throughout the day on Sunday.
Lander concludes the regular season at 32-14 overall and 15-9 in PBC play while North Georgia finishes 43-8 and 21-3 in league play.
The game was a pitcher's dual throughout as both starters went the distance and only allowed four hits. Unfortunately, the Nighthawks made the four hits they got off Bailey Pattison count as they plated an unearned run in the second, a run in the third, and an insurance run in the seventh. Pattison struck out 12 in the game, tying her season-high that came in her 12-inning game against Georgia College.
Lander's best chance to score came in the third as they loaded the bases with two outs but the Nighthawks got Logan Coward to fly out to left to end the threat.
From there Lander had only a single baserunner in the fourth, fifth, and sixth and then was sent down in order in the seventh to end the game.
Lander finishes the season as the #3 seed in the Peach Belt and will travel to Columbus State next weekend for the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference tournament. The bracket for the four-team double-elimination tournament will be announced on Monday as some games across the conference were postponed due to weather.
