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Lander University

HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
16
Winner Middle Georgia State MGA 4-6, 1-1 PBC
14
Lander LU 7-2, 1-1 PBC
Winner
Middle Georgia State MGA
4-6, 1-1 PBC
16
Final
14
Lander LU
7-2, 1-1 PBC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Middle Georgia State MGA 1 0 1 0 4 5 0 0 5 16 16 3
Lander LU 3 1 0 3 4 0 0 0 3 14 11 5

W: T. Richardso (1-0) L: Goldberg, Thomas (2-1)

7
Middle Georgia State MGA 4-7, 1-2 PBC
12
Winner Lander LANDER 8-2, 2-1 PBC
Middle Georgia State MGA
4-7, 1-2 PBC
7
Final
12
Lander LANDER
8-2, 2-1 PBC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Middle Georgia State MGA 0 2 0 1 1 1 0 2 0 7 6 1
Lander LANDER 0 0 0 4 0 3 0 5 X 12 13 3

W: Gergan, Dalton (1-0) L: B. Exley (0-1)

BSB vs. Belmont Abbey 2/10/26
Nicholas Winegard

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

Hansen’s Triple, Sanchez’s Immaculate Inning Seal Opening PBC Series for No. 27 Lander

GREENWOOD, S.C. — Ryan Hansen delivered the decisive blow with a bases-clearing triple in the eighth inning and Joshua Sanchez recorded the first immaculate inning in program history in the ninth as No. 27 Lander secured the Peach Belt Conference series with a 12-7 victory over Middle Georgia State in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader at Dolny Stadium.

Middle Georgia claimed the opener 16-14, using a five-run ninth inning and holding off a late Lander rally to earn its first PBC win in program history. With the split, the Bearcats secured their opening conference series of the season.

Pip Smalley led Lander with three hits and three RBIs in game one. Zach Cowart and Brody Winter each drove in three in the opener. In game two, Will McClellan and Mason Salisbury collected three hits apiece, while Hansen drove in four runs, including three on his go-ahead triple.

Game One: Middle Georgia 16, Lander 14

The opener turned into a defensive struggle for Lander, which had committed just six errors entering Saturday but made five in game one. Only eight of Middle Georgia's 16 runs were earned.

The Knights struck first with a leadoff homer in the opening inning, but Cowart answered with a three-run shot in the bottom half to give Lander a 3-1 lead.

Smalley added an RBI double in the second to make it 4-1. After Middle Georgia trimmed the deficit with a solo homer, Smalley delivered a two-run double later in the inning and a wild pitch extended the lead to 7-2.

An error prolonged the fifth inning for the Knights and sparked a four-run frame, all unearned, to cut the lead to 7-6.

Lander responded with RBIs from McClellan and Dalton Stroud and a sacrifice fly from Oliver Zohn to stretch the advantage to 11-6.

Middle Georgia answered with a five-run sixth inning to tie the game, and the teams remained even until the ninth. Another Lander error helped fuel a five-run rally in the final frame, with only the first run of the inning earned, giving the Knights a 16-11 lead.

Winter brought the Bearcats back within two with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Oliver Zohn was hit by a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate, but Carter McCormick struck out to end the game.

Game Two: Lander 12, Middle Georgia 7

Middle Georgia carried its momentum into the nightcap, building a 3-0 lead through four innings. Two runs scored in the second on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch, and another crossed in the fourth on a wild pitch.

Lander answered in the bottom of the fourth. Salisbury singled to start the inning and later scored when Hansen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. McClellan followed with a two-run double to tie the game, and Winter lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Bearcats a 4-3 lead.

A solo homer in the fifth tied the game at 4-4, and an unearned run in the sixth, set up by a throwing error, pushed the Knights ahead 5-4.

The Bearcats responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth. Hansen and McClellan opened the inning with singles, and Cowart tied the game with an RBI single. Cavallaro added a sacrifice fly to put Lander ahead 6-5, and Salisbury delivered an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-5.

Middle Georgia evened the score again in the eighth, scoring one run on a wild pitch and another on an RBI single to make it 7-7.

Lander answered decisively in the bottom half. Cowart doubled to open the inning, and Cavallaro was hit by a pitch. Salisbury walked to load the bases before Still drew a bases-loaded walk to give Lander an 8-7 lead. Backman was then hit by a pitch to force in another run and make it 9-7. Hansen followed with a bases-clearing triple to right-center, extending the advantage to 12-7.

Sanchez closed the door in historic fashion. The right-hander struck out the side on nine pitches in the ninth inning, recording the first immaculate inning in program history to seal the victory and the series.

Lander will hit the road this week, traveling to defending Conference Carolinas regular-season champion Francis Marion on Tuesday before opening a conference series at North Georgia next weekend. First pitch against the Patriots is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday. The series with the Nighthawks begins Friday at 5 p.m. in Dahlonega, Georgia.
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