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HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
11
Lander LANDER 8-3
12
Winner Francis Marion FMU 10-1
Lander LANDER
8-3
11
Final
12
Francis Marion FMU
10-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Lander LANDER 1 3 1 0 0 0 3 0 2 1 11 15 3
Francis Marion FMU 1 0 3 1 0 0 4 0 1 2 12 13 2

W: T. Skeen (1-0) L: Demurias, Evan (0-1)

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

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

Walk-Off Squeeze Hands No. 19 Lander First Midweek Loss of Season

FLORENCE, S.C. – The 19th-ranked Lander baseball team carried leads into the bottom of the ninth and 10th innings but could not close the door as the 29th-ranked Francis Marion Patriots executed a squeeze play to score the winning run in the 10th and secure a 12-11 victory Tuesday evening at Sparrow Stadium.

The loss marked Lander's first midweek defeat of the season.

Pip Smalley gave the Bearcats a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a solo home run to left field. Francis Marion answered in the bottom half to even the score at 1-1.

Lander surged ahead in the second, plating three runs to take a 4-1 lead. Cooper Backman delivered an RBI single before two additional runs scored on a Francis Marion error. The Bearcats threatened for more with two on and one out, but a double play ended the inning.

Backman added another RBI single in the third to extend the advantage to 5-1.

Nolan Alexander worked through the first two innings efficiently but ran into trouble in the third as Francis Marion scored three runs to trim the deficit to one. The Patriots capitalized on one of Lander's three errors in the fourth to plate another run and tie the game at five.

Both teams were held scoreless in the fifth and sixth before the offenses erupted for 14 combined runs over the final four innings.

Lander regained control in the seventh with three runs. Brody Winter drove in a run with a base hit and Lowndes Still added a sacrifice fly to give the Bearcats an 8-5 lead. Francis Marion responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to move back in front, 9-8.

After a scoreless eighth, Lander entered the ninth trailing by one. Backman delivered again, lining a two-run double to put the Bearcats back on top, 10-9.

Evan Demurias recorded two outs in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on second, but a double tied the game and forced extra innings, Lander's first extra-inning contest of the season.

In the 10th, Still dropped a single into left field to score Smalley and give Lander an 11-10 lead. Zach Cowart attempted to score a second run on the play but was thrown out at the plate, keeping the margin at one.

Francis Marion drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half. The runner advanced during a double steal, and a throwing error allowed the eventual winning run to reach third. The Patriots then executed a squeeze play to bring home the run and seal the 12-11 victory.

Lander returns to Peach Belt Conference play this weekend against ninth-ranked North Georgia. The series opens Friday at 5 p.m. at Bob Stein Stadium in Dahlonega.
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Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play LANDER FMU
LANDER TOP 1st P. Smalley homered to left field, RBI. 1 0
FMU BOT 1st R. Orr reached first on a throwing error by 3b, RBI; Bussey III scored. 1 1
LANDER TOP 2nd C. Backman singled to left field, RBI; M. Salisbury advanced to second; Lo. Still scored. 2 1
LANDER TOP 2nd W. McClellan reached first on a fielding error by ss, RBI; R. Hansen advanced to second; C. Backman scored, unearned; M. Salisbury scored. 4 1
LANDER TOP 3rd C. Backman singled through the left side, RBI; M. Salisbury advanced to second; B. Winter scored, unearned. 5 1
FMU BOT 3rd Bussey III advanced to third on a wild pitch; W. Dorrell scored. 5 2
FMU BOT 3rd R. Orr doubled down the rf line, RBI; Bussey III scored. 5 3
FMU BOT 3rd E. McAnally singled to left field, RBI; R. Orr scored, unearned. 5 4
FMU BOT 4th L. Davis doubled down the lf line, RBI; Z. Buchan advanced to second, out at third ss to 3b; D. Hussey scored, unearned. 5 5
LANDER TOP 7th B. Winter doubled to right center, RBI; Z. Cowart advanced to third; P. Smalley scored. 6 5
LANDER TOP 7th Lo. Still flied out to lf, sacrifice fly, RBI; Z. Cowart scored. 7 5
LANDER TOP 7th K. Murphy grounded out to ss; B. Winter scored. 8 5
FMU BOT 7th R. Orr advanced to second on a wild pitch; Bussey III scored. 8 6
FMU BOT 7th E. McAnally advanced to second on a wild pitch; R. Orr scored. 8 7
FMU BOT 7th D. Hussey singled to center field, RBI; E. McAnally scored. 8 8
FMU BOT 7th Z. Buchan out at second c to 2b to 1b, caught stealing; D. Hussey scored. 8 9
LANDER TOP 9th C. Backman doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI; Lo. Still scored; Z. Cowart scored. 10 9
FMU BOT 9th M. Manuel doubled to left center, RBI; A. Nina scored. 10 10
LANDER TOP 10th Lo. Still singled to left field, RBI; B. Winter advanced to second; Z. Cowart advanced to third, out at home lf to c; P. Smalley scored. 11 10
FMU BOT 10th L. Davis stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by 3b; B. Vargas stole home. 11 11
FMU BOT 10th W. Dorrell singled to catcher, bunt, RBI; L. Davis scored, unearned. 11 12

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