Bearcats Split Doubleheader with Erskine

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DUE WEST, S.C. - The Lander Baseball team used Dominic Puccetti's (Monroe, Mich.) six-inning, eight-strikeout Lander debut to propel themselves to a 4-2 win over the Erskine Flying Fleet in game 1 of a non-conference doubleheader and seemed to be on the way to the doubleheader sweep but the Fleet scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to earn the walk-off 7-6 win to clinch the series.

Lander sits at 1-2 after the two games while Erskine is 2-1.

Game 1: Lander 4, Erskine 2
Zach Cowart (Lexington, S.C.) led off the game with a bang as he took the fifth pitch of the game over the right field fence to give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

The Bearcats added a run in the third inning, but it came at the expense of a double play that stymied a Lander bases-loaded rally however, the Blue and Gold still led 2-0 after three innings of play. Garrett Chun (Jacksonville, Fla.) then made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the fourth.

On the mound, Puccetti went four innings of no-hit ball and kept the Fleet off the scoreboard through 5 1/3 innings.

Erskine finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth with an RBI single but Puccetti kept the Fleet there as he finished six full innings of work and gave way to Joshua Sanchez (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), who pitched two shutout innings of his own.

Lander added an insurance run in the eighth off an Erskine error and Tyler Bowen (Dagsboro, Del.) nailed down the save in the ninth to secure the win.

Game 2: Erskine 7, Lander 6
Lander once again struck first, this time off the bat of Chun with an RBI Single to make it 1-0, Bearcats, after one inning.

Lander had the bases loaded once again in the second inning and plated three runs off a Grant Sherrod (Sumner, Wash.) hit by pitch sandwiched between walks by Mario Lopez Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) and Chun to extend the Lander lead to 4-0.

Erskine plated runs in each of the next three innings to cut the lead down to one at 4-3 after six innings.

Brody Winter (Anderson, S.C.) gave Lander some breathing room in the seventh and final inning with a two-run shot to make it 6-3 going into the last half inning.

However, Erskine came roaring back in the bottom of the seventh scoring four and winning the game on a walk-off sacrifice fly.

The Bearcats return to action on Tuesday as they continue their road trip traveling to Gaffney, S.C. to take on the Limestone Saints on Tuesday, February 4th. First pitch for that game is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

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Players Mentioned

#38 Tyler Bowen: RHP; 6' 0"; Senior

#17 Joshua Sanchez: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore

#6 Dominic Puccetti: LHP; 6' 5"; Graduate Student

#8 Zach Cowart: INF; 5' 11"; Junior

#11 Garrett Chun: OF; 5' 8"; Graduate Student

#29 Brody Winter: OF; 6' 2"; Junior

#35 Grant Sherrod: 1B/OF; 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior

#45 Mario Lopez Jr.: C; 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

#38 Tyler Bowen
: 6' 0"; Senior
: RHP

#17 Joshua Sanchez
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore
: RHP

#6 Dominic Puccetti
: 6' 5"; Graduate Student
: LHP

#8 Zach Cowart
: 5' 11"; Junior
: INF

#11 Garrett Chun
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student
: OF

#29 Brody Winter
: 6' 2"; Junior
: OF

#35 Grant Sherrod
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Senior
: 1B/OF

#45 Mario Lopez Jr.
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Junior
: C