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Lander University

HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
4
USC Aiken USCA 22-28
5
Winner Lander LANDER 38-13
USC Aiken USCA
22-28
4
Final
5
Lander LANDER
38-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
USC Aiken USCA 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 9 0
Lander LANDER 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 X 5 11 0

W: Larson, Jake (4-2) L: C. Evilsizor (5-3) S: Bowen, Tyler (4)

PBCT G1 Recap
Hailey Franklin

Game Recap: Baseball | | Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

Three-Run Eighth Lifts Lander in PBC Tournament Opener

GREENWOOD – After a rain delay that stretched more than two and a half hours, the Lander baseball team rallied from a late 4-2 deficit with a three-run eighth inning to defeat USC Aiken, 5-4, in the opening round of the Peach Belt Conference Tournament on Friday at Dolny Stadium.

With the win, Lander (38-13) advances to the winner's bracket and will face the winner of the Flagler vs. Georgia College & State University game at noon Saturday. USC Aiken (22-28) will meet the loser of that contest in Game 4 of the tournament, set to begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 3.

The Pacers struck early against Lander starter Dominic Puccetti, scoring two runs in the top of the first. The Bearcats answered in the bottom half as Connor Droze brought home Taichi Nakao with a groundout to cut the deficit to 2-1.

USC Aiken loaded the bases with no outs in the second, but Puccetti limited the damage, allowing just one run on a fielder's choice to make it 3-1.

Following two outs in the bottom of the third, lightning entered the eight-mile warning radius, prompting a delay of two hours and 32 minutes. Play resumed at 7:28 p.m.

Lander struck quickly after the delay, as Evan Wickeri, Grant Sherrod and Droze strung together three consecutive singles to trim the Pacers' lead to 3-2.

From there, USC Aiken starter Cade Bouknight kept the Bearcat offense quiet for the next four innings.

Jake Larson relieved Puccetti following the delay and surrendered a leadoff triple that came around to score in the fifth. Aside from that, the sophomore tossed five solid innings, allowing five hits and striking out five.

Droze sparked the Bearcats' eighth-inning rally with a solo home run that sailed halfway up the net beyond the right field fence, cutting the deficit to 4-3. After Will McClellan was hit by a pitch and singles from Mario Lopez Jr. and Cooper Backman loaded the bases, pinch-runner Dalton Stroud scored the tying run on a wild pitch.

With the bases loaded again after a Zach Cowart walk, Nakao beat out a potential inning-ending double play, allowing Jackson Hoshour to cross the plate with the go-ahead run.

Tyler Bowen took the mound in the ninth and retired the first two batters before a walk and back-to-back wild pitches allowed the tying run to reach third. The senior regrouped and blew a 96 mph fastball past the final batter to earn his fourth save of the season.

Lander returns to action at noon Saturday in the winner's bracket game. The winner of that contest will advance to Sunday's bracket final needing just one win in a potential two-game series to earn a spot in the PBC Championship Series.
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Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play USCA LANDER
USCA TOP 1st H. Thompson singled through the left side, RBI; C. Molinarol advanced to second; J. Sharp scored. 1 0
USCA TOP 1st J. Hobson doubled down the lf line, RBI; H. Thompson advanced to third; C. Molinarol scored. 2 0
LANDER BOT 1st C. Droze grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI; E. Wickeri advanced to third; T. Nakao scored. 2 1
USCA TOP 2nd C. Molinarol reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, RBI; C. Jones out at second ss to 2b; T. Casciato advanced to third; K. Usry scored. 3 1
LANDER BOT 3rd C. Droze singled to right center, RBI; G. Sherrod advanced to third; E. Wickeri scored. 3 2
USCA TOP 5th C. Molinarol grounded out to 2b, RBI; J. Sharp scored. 4 2
LANDER BOT 8th C. Droze homered to right field, RBI. 4 3
LANDER BOT 8th C. Backman advanced to second on a wild pitch; J. Hoshour advanced to third on a wild pitch; D. Stroud scored on a wild pitch. 4 4
LANDER BOT 8th T. Nakao reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, RBI; Z. Cowart out at second ss to 2b; C. Backman advanced to third; J. Hoshour scored. 4 5

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