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HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
8
Erskine ERSKINE 0-1
12
Winner Lander LANDER 1-0
Erskine ERSKINE
0-1
8
Final
12
Lander LANDER
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Erskine ERSKINE 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 1 1 8 11 3
Lander LANDER 3 0 0 0 4 0 4 1 X 12 12 0

W: Monroe, Jake (1-0) L: E. Enerlich (0-1)

4
Erskine ERSKINE 0-2
10
Winner Lander LANDER 2-0
Erskine ERSKINE
0-2
4
Final
10
Lander LANDER
2-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Erskine ERSKINE 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 4 8 4
Lander LANDER 2 0 1 2 1 1 2 1 X 10 9 0

W: Goldberg, Thomas (1-0) L: S. Hardy (0-1) S: Garner, Teddy (1)

McClellan vs. Erskine
Hailey Franklin

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

#27 Lander Sweeps Opening Day Doubleheader Against Erskine

GREENWOOD – The 27th-ranked Lander Baseball team opened the 2026 season at home the same way it did 26 times in the 2025 campaign, sweeping rival Erskine in an opening-day doubleheader Friday at Dolny Stadium. The Bearcats pulled away late to win game one 12-8 before jumping out to an early lead and cruising to a 10-4 victory in game two.

The pair of wins marked the first career victories for head coach Nick Popp after he was elevated to the position on January 9.

The doubleheader sweep was Lander's first over the Flying Fleet since April 22, 2003, when the Bearcats earned wins of 9-5 and 5-0. Lander now leads the all-time series 46-21, including a dominant 29-7 record at the program's home fields of Legion Field and Dolny Stadium.

Ryan Hansen paced the Bearcat offense with five hits across the two games, driving in four runs and scoring three times. Zach Cowart added four hits of his own in the sweep.

Game One: Lander 12, Erskine 8

The Bearcats needed just three batters to break the ice in the season opener as Pip Smalley delivered a two-run single to score Lowndes Still and Hansen for an early 2-0 lead. An Erskine error later in the inning plated Smalley to make it 3-0.

Jake Monroe faced the minimum through three innings before Erskine broke through with a run in the fourth and tied the game with two more in the fifth.

Lander responded immediately, plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth. RBI hits from Cowart and Caden Crews highlighted the inning as the Bearcats regained control at 7-3.

Jake Larson entered in relief in the sixth but took a line drive off his throwing arm on the first out of the inning. The Fleet capitalized with three runs to trim the deficit to one before Joshua Sanchez entered and stopped the rally.

Sanchez worked around a leadoff hit in the seventh, and the Bearcats provided breathing room in the bottom half, scoring four more runs. RBIs from Crews and Hansen helped stretch the lead to 11-6.

The teams traded runs in the eighth, with Still driving in Lander's run. Ethan Califf recorded the final four outs, allowing just one run, to seal the season-opening victory.

Game Two: Lander 10, Erskine 4

Lander struck early again in game two, scoring twice in the first inning after loading the bases and adding a run in the third on a Brody Winter RBI groundout.

Erskine briefly cut the deficit to two with a run in the fourth, but Hansen and Winter answered with RBI hits to push the lead to 5-1 after four innings.

Hansen added another RBI in the fifth, and after Erskine scored in the sixth, Riley Hood delivered an RBI single to restore a five-run cushion.

The Bearcats continued to apply pressure in the seventh, scoring three more runs on hits from Winter and Hood before a throwing error allowed Kyle Murphy to score and make it 10-2.

Erskine pushed across two runs in the ninth, but Teddy Garner closed the door, earning Lander's first save of the season by pitching the final three innings.

Lander and Erskine are scheduled to complete the opening weekend series Monday at 1 p.m. in Due West, S.C., weather permitting. Fans are encouraged to follow landerbearcats.com for any potential schedule updates.
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