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Lander University

HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
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Hailey Franklin

Baseball Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

Seven-Run Fifth Too Much to Overcome for Lander in Loss to North Georgia

Box Score DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The Lander Baseball team trailed 4-3 after four and a half innings, but the North Georgia Nighthawks pulled away with a seven-run fifth inning to create enough separation to hold off a late Lander comeback and take Game 1 of the teams' Peach Belt Conference series, 12-9, on Friday evening at Bob Stein Stadium.

It was the first Game 1 loss for the Bearcats since the Mount Olive series on February 8 and their first Friday loss since Opening Day on January 31.

Grant Sherrod (Sumner, Wash.) gave Lander (20-8, 8-2 PBC) an early 1-0 lead in the first with an RBI groundout, but North Georgia (19-8, 9-1 PBC) responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning and two more in the third to open up a 4-1 lead.

A Will McClellan (Anderson, S.C.) solo homer in the fourth and an Evan Wickeri (Middleburg, Fla.) RBI single in the fifth cut the deficit to one at 4-3. However, a walk, hit-by-pitch, and bunt single to open the bottom half of the inning spelled trouble for Lander starter Jagger Jefferis (Barnesville, Ohio).

Another hit-by-pitch brought home a run to make it 5-3, ending Jefferis' day. The Nighthawks capitalized further, plating two more runs before recording an out on a sacrifice fly that brought home another run. North Georgia continued to add on, scoring three more times in the inning to make it 11-3 after five complete.

Lander didn't go away quietly. Garrett Chun (Jacksonville, Fla.) came home on a wild pitch in the sixth to make it 11-4. Sherrod added another RBI in the seventh to trim the deficit to 11-5.

In the eighth, Adam Love (Roswell, Ga.) drove in two more on an error, nearly clearing the bases, but Cooper Backman (Sarasota, Fla.) was thrown out at the plate, keeping the score at 11-7. Taichi Nakao (Auckland, New Zealand) then added a sacrifice fly, bringing Lander within three runs. North Georgia picked up a key insurance run in the bottom half of the inning, but Lander opened the ninth with momentum. Sherrod launched a solo home run to make it 12-9, and a Connor Droze (Roebuck, S.C.) single brought the tying run into the on-deck circle. However, North Georgia quickly shut down the rally, retiring the next three Bearcats to end the game.

The two teams will continue their series tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. in Dahlonega.
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Players Mentioned

Connor Droze

#30 Connor Droze

1B/OF
6' 1"
Senior
Adam Love

#25 Adam Love

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
Will McClellan

#1 Will McClellan

C/OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Taichi Nakao

#4 Taichi Nakao

INF
5' 8"
Senior
Evan Wickeri

#9 Evan Wickeri

INF
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Garrett Chun

#11 Garrett Chun

OF
5' 8"
Graduate Student
Jagger Jefferis

#24 Jagger Jefferis

LHP
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Grant Sherrod

#35 Grant Sherrod

1B/OF
6' 4"
Redshirt Senior
Cooper Backman

#39 Cooper Backman

UTL
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Connor Droze

#30 Connor Droze

6' 1"
Senior
1B/OF
Adam Love

#25 Adam Love

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
OF
Will McClellan

#1 Will McClellan

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
C/OF
Taichi Nakao

#4 Taichi Nakao

5' 8"
Senior
INF
Evan Wickeri

#9 Evan Wickeri

6' 0"
Graduate Student
INF
Garrett Chun

#11 Garrett Chun

5' 8"
Graduate Student
OF
Jagger Jefferis

#24 Jagger Jefferis

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
LHP
Grant Sherrod

#35 Grant Sherrod

6' 4"
Redshirt Senior
1B/OF
Cooper Backman

#39 Cooper Backman

6' 0"
Freshman
UTL