GREENWOOD – The Lander Baseball team was held scoreless for four innings after narrowing the Chowan Hawks' lead to 4-2 in the third. However, the Bearcats rallied with three runs in the eighth to take the lead and complete the series sweep over the Hawks on Sunday afternoon at Dolny Stadium.
The victory marked Lander's eighth consecutive win, improving the Bearcats' record to 9-5, while Chowan fell to 1-9.
Jake Larson (Ponte Vedra, Fla.) earned his second win of the week in relief, tossing four perfect innings and striking out three to keep the Bearcats in the game.
Offensively, Will McClellan (Anderson, S.C.) and Cooper Backman (Sarasota, Fla.) led all players with three hits apiece.
The Hawks jumped on Anson Merrick (Chapin, S.C) early, plating four runs in the first two innings, taking advantage of two Lander errors in the first.
Lander cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third as Grant Sherrod (Sumner, Wash.) drove in his seventh and eighth runs of the series to make it 4-2.
The Bearcats had a few opportunities to chip away at the lead in the fourth and sixth, but a pair of double plays ended both rallies. One double play in the fourth came with the bases loaded and one out.
Merrick settled in after the first two innings, allowing just one hit across his final three frames to keep Chowan scoreless. Larson took over in the sixth and dominated, retiring the Hawks in order for four innings.
In the eighth, McClellan and Jackson Hoshour (Sumter, S.C.) led off with doubles. McClellan remained on third after Hoshour's double, a fly ball that the Chowan outfielder lost in the sun. Backman drove in McClellan with a sacrifice fly, and after a walk and a hit-by-pitch, the bases were loaded. Hoshour scored on a wild pitch to tie the game, and Evan Wickeri (Middleburg, Fla.) followed with another sacrifice fly, giving the Bearcats their first lead, which they held on to for the win.
Lander wraps up their eight-game homestand on Tuesday (Feb. 25) as they host the Limestone Saints for a 5:00 PM first pitch. Limestone won the season's first meeting, 4-3, on February 4th.
