COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Lander Softball team trailed 9-2 heading into the seventh inning and plated four runs with the tying run at the plate but couldn't get any closer as they fell in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament to the Georgia College and State University Bobcats, 9-6, on Friday afternoon on the campus of Columbus State University.
Lander drops to 32-15 and will play hosts Columbus State in an elimination game tomorrow afternoon as the Cougars were also upset in their opening-round game. The Bobcats improved to 28-26 and will face seventh-seeded Georgia Southwestern in the 1-0 game tomorrow at noon.
The Bobcats plated three runs in the second inning but Lander got a run back in the bottom of the fourth by scoring a run off a fielder's choice.
Georgia College then scored the next four to take a commanding 7-1 lead. The Bearcats got another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-2 but the Bobcats answered with two in the top of the seventh to seemingly put the game away at 9-2.
However, Lander did not go away quietly as with two outs,
Raquel Camuglia laced a two-RBI double,
Gracie Derrick added an RBI single, and
Abbie Behe plated two more with a single of her own to force a Bobcat pitching change. However, Georgia College got the next batter to ground out to end the game.
The Bearcats now have to win four straight to advance out of this pod and will look to start that run against the second-seeded Columbus State Cougars. The first pitch for the elimination game is set for 3:00 PM.
