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HOME OF THE LANDER UNIVERSITY BEARCATS #CLAWSUP
9
Winner Lander LANDER 11-7
2
Ga. Southwestern GSW 9-7
Winner
Lander LANDER
11-7
9
Final
2
Ga. Southwestern GSW
9-7
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Lander LANDER 1 0 0 0 1 3 4 9 11 0
Ga. Southwestern GSW 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 7 4

W: Geddings, Mattye (3-1) L: Jacquelyn Burns (3-2)

Mattye Geddings 2026 softball
Vickie Breedlove

Game Recap: Softball | | Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director

Geddings’ complete game, Santos’ four-hit night lift Bearcats past Georgia Southwestern in PBC opener

AMERICUS, Ga. - The Lander softball team opened Peach Belt Conference play in convincing fashion Friday evening, defeating the reigning 2025 Peach Belt Conference champion Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes 9-2 at Lady Canes Field.

Behind a dominant complete-game effort from senior pitcher Mattye Geddings and a perfect night at the plate from junior Isabella Santos, the Bearcats improved to 11-7 overall while handing Georgia Southwestern its seventh loss of the season.

Geddings made her first start of the year in the circle and delivered a steady performance, tossing all seven innings while allowing just two runs on seven hits. The senior struck out two and issued only one walk across 77 pitches to earn the win and move to 3-1 on the season.

Lander struck first in the opening inning when Santos delivered an RBI single that scored Emily Allen, who later finished the night with three runs scored.

Georgia Southwestern briefly took the lead in the fourth inning with a pair of runs, highlighted by an RBI double from Kendall Huelsman and an RBI single from Erin Garland to make it 2-1.

The Bearcats quickly responded.

Santos tied the game in the fifth inning with another RBI single up the middle, bringing home Emorie Anderson. Lander then broke the game open in the sixth. Santos drove in Allen with her third RBI single of the night before Ava Perkins followed with a two-run single to give the Bearcats a 5-2 advantage.

Lander added insurance in the seventh inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues by the Hurricanes. Anderson reached on a throwing error that allowed two runs to score before Samantha Bumgarner added an RBI groundout. Santos capped the scoring with her fourth hit and fourth RBI of the night, pushing the lead to 9-2.

The Bearcats produced a balanced offensive attack, recording 11 hits with eight different players reaching the hit column. Santos led the way with a 4-for-4 performance and four RBIs, while Allen and Anderson each scored three runs. Perkins added two RBIs, and Bumgarner drove in another.

Defensively, Lander was flawless in the field with no errors, while Georgia Southwestern committed four miscues that helped fuel the Bearcats' late offensive surge.

Geddings closed the door in the seventh to secure the conference-opening victory.

Lander rounds out its Peach Belt Conference opening series at Georgia Southwestern on Saturday, March 7, with a doubleheader set to begin at 1 p.m. in Americus, Ga.
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Scoring Summary

Score By Innings
Play LANDER GSW
LANDER TOP 1st Isabella Santos singled, advanced to second on a fielding error by lf, RBI (3-1 FBBB); Emily Allen scored, unearned. 1 0
GSW BOT 4th Kendall Huelsman doubled, RBI, advanced to third on the throw (2-0 BB); Madison Banks scored. 1 1
GSW BOT 4th Erin Garland singled, RBI (0-1 K); Kendall Huelsman scored. 1 2
LANDER TOP 5th Isabella Santos singled up the middle, RBI (0-1 K); Samantha Bumgarner advanced to second; Emorie Anderson scored. 2 2
LANDER TOP 6th Isabella Santos singled down the rf line, RBI (1-0 B); Emorie Anderson advanced to second; Emily Allen scored, unearned. 3 2
LANDER TOP 6th Ava Perkins singled, advanced to second on the throw, 2 RBI (2-1 KBB); Isabella Santos scored; Emorie Anderson scored. 5 2
LANDER TOP 7th Emorie Anderson reached first on a throwing error by 2b, advanced to second, 2 RBI (0-1 F); Emily Allen advanced to third; Kara Vonachen scored, unearned; Chloe Manders Chloe Manders. 6 2
LANDER TOP 7th Samantha Bumgarner grounded out to 2b, RBI (0-1 K); Emorie Anderson advanced to third; Emily Allen scored, unearned. 7 2
LANDER TOP 7th Isabella Santos singled, RBI (2-1 SBB); Emorie Anderson scored. 8 2

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