GREENWOOD, S.C. – GRU Augusta dropped game one to the Lander Bearcats, but stole game two to even the series with two runs in the ninth inning of the Peach Belt Conference series at Doug Spears Field.
GRU Augusta (22-33, 9-13 PBC) and Lander (8-40, 2-18 PBC) each had defensive struggles early for both teams to give one another an easy unearned run. Jaguar starter Haley Birkle (9-17) hit Lander's leadoff batter to start the game and a throwing error by the catcher gave the home team a 1-0 lead.
Birkle got some help from her offense in the top of the second when Brooke Stephens started the inning with a double to left field. Next at bat, Kristen Bagley reached on Lander's first error, a throwing mistake from the third baseman, which scored Stephens to knot the game at 1-all.
Lander wasted no time retaking the lead in the bottom of the second when three singles and another throwing error from the GRU infield gave LU a 3-1 lead. The Jags committed two errors in the game while the Bearcats had one and totaled 10 hits. Molly Walton loaded the bases in the fifth with a bunt single and Mallory Ferguson cut the lead to one with an infield single.
Two back-to-back hits off Birkle in the seventh inning gave the Bearcats a 5-2 final in game one. Birkle (9-17) wore the loss in her 6.0 innings of work, surrendering 10 hits for five runs (three earned) and striking out three. LU's M.K. Pegram (2-15) got her second win of the year while striking out six in her complete game. Ashley Benton and Walton each had multi-hit performances with 2-for-4 days for GRU, while Mallory Ferguson tripled for an RBI.
Game two saw a pitchers dual between GRU starter Paige Deschaine and LU slinger Tyler Riendeau. Scoreless for the entire seven-innings, the game went to extras with neither team scoring in the eighth. The Jags came through big in the ninth inning to score two runs and take a 2-0 lead. Ferguson drew another walk to start the innings and Kristen Bagley belted a double to left field to score pinch runner Becky Newhouse.
Bagley took third on a wild pitch and Hannah Vaughn's infield single plated the second GRU run. Paige Deschaine (12-15) got the win in 9.0 innings pitched while dealing 10 strikeouts.
