AMERICUS, Ga. – Lander University continued its recent success against Georgia Southwestern, sweeping a three-game Peach Belt Conference softball series at Lady Canes Field over GSW's Alumni Weekend. The Bearcats claimed a 9-2 win in Friday's opener before taking both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, 15-7 and 7-1.
Lander leaves Americus having won nine of the last 10 meetings between the two programs. GSW drops to 9-9 overall following the opening conference series.
Weekend's Top Performers
Game 1 – Lander Pulls Away Late for 9-2 Victory
Georgia Southwestern briefly grabbed the momentum in the middle innings before Lander erupted late to take the series opener 9-2 Friday evening.
The Bearcats struck first in the opening inning when Isabella Santos delivered an RBI single following a walk and a wild pitch to score Emily Allen.
GSW answered in the fourth.
Madison Banks doubled to left center to lead off the frame and scored moments later when
Kendall Huelsman lined an RBI double down the line. Huelsman advanced to third on the throw and came home when
Erin Garland singled to center, giving the Lady Hurricanes a 2-1 lead which would prove to be their last of the weekend.
Lander quickly responded in the fifth to tie the game on another RBI single from Santos. The Bearcats then broke things open in the sixth with three runs, highlighted by Ava Perkins' two-run single.
A four-run seventh inning pushed the game out of reach as Lander capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues to extend the lead.
Garland paced the Hurricanes with two hits and an RBI, while Banks and Huelsman both recorded doubles.
Game 2 – Hurricanes Rally but Bearcats Hold On, Win in 5 Innings
The second game of Saturday's doubleheader featured an offensive outburst on both sides, but Lander built too large of an early cushion in a 15-7 victory.
The Bearcats scored four runs in the first inning and followed with four more in the second to jump out to an 8-1 lead.
GSW showed resilience in the fourth inning, plating six runs to climb back into the game. The rally began with
Simone Gillispie's double and a series of walks that loaded the bases.
Baelee Garland drew an RBI walk before
Riley Ernst reached on a fielder's choice that brought in two more runs after an error.
Huelsman delivered the biggest swing of the inning, driving a two-run single to center to pull the Hurricanes within 14-6.
Erin Garland added an RBI single later in the frame as GSW trimmed the deficit to 14-7.
Despite the surge, Lander added another run in the fifth and held GSW scoreless the rest of the way.
Huelsman finished with three RBIs in the contest, while
Amelia Angier reached base three times and stole two bases.
Game 3 – Bearcats Secure Sweep with 7-1 Win
Lander completed the sweep Saturday afternoon with a 7-1 victory behind another strong pitching performance from Mattye Geddings.
The Bearcats jumped ahead in the first inning when Reagan Hill delivered a two-run double to right center.
GSW answered quickly in the bottom half. Banks doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Erin Garland before scoring on Huelsman's RBI double to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The score remained tight until the fifth inning when Lander broke through with four runs, using a pair of singles and a two-run hit from Chloe Manders to extend the lead.
The Bearcats added an insurance run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Banks and Garland each collected two hits for the Hurricanes in the finale, while Huelsman recorded her second double of the game and drove in GSW's lone run.
Next Up
A challenging trip to No. 5 Auburn University at Montgomery awaits the Lady Hurricanes on Tuesday with the nonconference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.
