Walk-Off Single Spoils Lander’s Upset Bid in Southeast Regional Opener - Peach Belt Conference Skip To Main Content

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Walk-Off Single Spoils Lander’s Upset Bid in Southeast Regional Opener

| By: Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications
SALISBURY, N.C. – The eighth-seeded Lander baseball team was one strike away from pulling off a major upset, but top-seeded Catawba rallied with back-to-back hits in the bottom of the 10th to walk off with a 9-8 win in the opening round of the NCAA Southeast Regional on Thursday afternoon at Newman Park.

The loss marked Lander's first in regional play since 2014, when the Bearcats dropped the Southeast Regional final to Columbus State before bouncing back in the "if-necessary" game to earn their first trip to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, N.C.

Garrett Chun got Lander (42-14) off to a fast start with a three-run homer to right-center in the top of the first, continuing his torrid stretch at the plate.

Catawba (43-15) quickly responded, launching homers in the first and second innings to cut into the lead and then tying the game in the second.

After Adam Love delivered an RBI single in the top of the third to give Lander a 4-3 lead, the Indians answered again with an RBI single of their own to level the score.

The teams traded two-run frames in the fourth, with Taichi Nakao driving in a run on a sacrifice fly and Grant Sherrod adding an RBI double for Lander. The game stood at 6-6 after four innings.

From there, both bullpens settled in. Kurt Rogers delivered three scoreless innings in relief, keeping the top-seeded hosts in check.

Chun added his fourth RBI of the day with a go-ahead single in the seventh to put Lander back in front, 7-6. But Catawba once again had an answer, tying the game in the eighth.

With the game tied at seven entering extras, Sherrod came through again, singling home Jackson Hoshour to give the Bearcats an 8-7 lead in the top of the 10th. However, Cowart was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch, preventing further damage.

In the bottom of the 10th, Tyler Bowen recorded two foul outs to Mario Lopez Jr. and had Catawba down to its final strike. But a two-strike double tied the game, and a walk-off single followed to end it.

Lander will face the loser of the North Greenville vs. Young Harris matchup in an elimination game Friday at 3 p.m. at Newman Park.

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