Claflin CLAFLIN 5-34-1, 0-22 PBC

Lander LANDER 31-13, 18-4 PBC

Claflin CLAFLIN

5-34-1, 0-22 PBC

Final

Apr. 18, 2025

Lander LANDER

31-13, 18-4 PBC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
Claflin CLAFLIN	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	1
Lander LANDER	2	0	1	2	1	0	5	11	17	0

W: Puccetti, Dominic (8-1) L: K. HAWKINS (1-6)

Summary
Box Score

Hailey Franklin

Game Recap: Baseball | 4/18/2025 11:16:00 PM | Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

Lander Scores 11 Straight to Run-Rule Claflin

GREENWOOD – The Lander baseball team trailed 1-0 after the top of the first inning, but the Bearcats responded immediately with two runs in the bottom half on a Connor Droze home run and never looked back, scoring 11 unanswered runs to defeat Claflin 11-1 in seven innings on Friday evening at Dolny Stadium.

Lander (31-13, 18-4 PBC) now sits 2.5 games ahead of third-place Georgia College in the Peach Belt Conference standings. With the Bobcats dropping the first two games of their series to Columbus State, Lander can clinch hosting rights for the opening weekend of the PBC Tournament with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday and a Georgia College loss.

All nine Bearcat starters recorded at least one hit, with seven scoring at least one run and seven driving in at least one run. The Bearcats did not strike out in the game—their first strikeout-free contest in over a decade.

Dominic Puccetti (8-1) was dominant on the mound, scattering three hits over six innings while striking out 10. He faced just four batters over the minimum. Jackson Bryant worked a perfect seventh inning in relief.

After Claflin's early solo home run, Lander answered right away. Following a Grant Sherrod single, Droze launched a two-run homer onto the road behind the left-field fence to put Lander ahead 2-1. Garrett Chun extended the lead with an infield RBI single in the third inning.

Cooper Backman led off the fourth with a single, and Taichi Nakao brought him home with his first home run of the season—and just the third of his career—to make it 5-1. Mario Lopez Jr. added an RBI single to cap a three-run inning and extend the lead to 6-1.

Lander sealed the game in the seventh with a five-run outburst. Adam Love led off with a single and scored on a Chun double aided by a Claflin error. Backman followed with an RBI triple to the right-field corner, and Zach Cowart drove him home with a double. After a Nakao walk, Evan Wickeri joined the hit parade with an RBI single to make it 10-1.

Sherrod loaded the bases with a single, and Droze—hit by a pitch for the 39th time in his career—drove in his 173rd career RBI, bringing him within two of the program record (175) set by Weston Lawing. The RBI also secured the 10-run margin needed to trigger the run rule.

Lander and Claflin wrap up the series Saturday with a Senior Day doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Senior Day festivities will be held before first pitch.

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Score By Innings
		CLAFLIN	LANDER
*TOP 1st*	A. HARDY homered to left field, RBI.	1	0
*BOT 1st*	C. Droze homered to right field, 2 RBI; G. Sherrod scored.	1	2
*BOT 3rd*	G. Chun singled to second base, RBI; A. Love advanced to second; G. Sherrod scored.	1	3
*BOT 4th*	T. Nakao homered to left field, 2 RBI; C. Backman scored.	1	5
*BOT 5th*	M. jr singled to left center, RBI; C. Droze scored.	1	6
*BOT 7th*	G. Chun singled to left field, advanced to second on the error; A. Love advanced to third, scored on a fielding error by lf.	1	7
*BOT 7th*	C. Backman tripled down the rf line, RBI; G. Chun scored.	1	8
*BOT 7th*	Z. Cowart doubled down the lf line, RBI; C. Backman scored.	1	9
*BOT 7th*	E. Wickeri singled up the middle, RBI; T. Nakao advanced to second; Z. Cowart scored.	1	10
*BOT 7th*	C. Droze hit by pitch, RBI; G. Sherrod advanced to second; E. Wickeri advanced to third; T. Nakao scored.	1	11