Lander Opens NCAA Southeast Regional With 10-Inning Victory Over Columbus State - Peach Belt Conference Skip To Main Content

Peach Belt Conference

Members

Lander Opens NCAA Southeast Regional With 10-Inning Victory Over Columbus State

| By: Hailey Franklin - Assistant Sports Information Director
DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The No. 5 seed Lander softball team made program history Thursday evening, defeating No. 4 seed Columbus State 3-2 in 10 innings in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.

With the victory, Lander secured its first-ever win in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament while also giving head coach Maddie Gibbs the winningest season of her tenure with 34 victories.

Senior pitcher Mattye Geddings delivered one of the best performances of her career in the circle, throwing all 10 innings and battling through 149 pitches to improve to 18-4 on the season. Geddings allowed just two runs while scattering 10 hits and striking out four.

In a tightly contested postseason matchup, neither team found the scoreboard through the first four innings before Lander finally broke through in the fifth.

After Emily Allen reached on a fielder's choice and advanced into scoring position off a CSU error, Samantha Bumgarner lined a single up the middle to plate Allen and give the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage.

Lander added another run an inning later, thanks to aggressive baserunning and pressure on the defensive side. Following a Columbus State error, Cheyenne Jordan crossed the plate to extend the lead to 2-0.

The Cougars answered in the bottom of the sixth when a two-run home run tied the game and eventually forced extra innings.

Both teams were held scoreless through the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings as Geddings continued to work out of traffic and keep the Bearcats alive.

Lander finally delivered the deciding blow at the top of the 10th.

Kara VonAchen reached to begin the inning, with a single up the middle, before senior Allen ripped a triple down the right-field line, scoring the go-ahead run and silencing the Columbus State crowd.

Geddings then shut the door in the bottom half of the inning to send the Bearcats into the winner's bracket of the regional.

Allen finished with the game-winning RBI, while Bumgarner recorded two of Lander's five hits. VonAchen and Emorie Anderson also added hits in the victory.

Hear from Head Coach Maddie Gibbs following the win:



The Bearcats now advance to face No. 8 seed Lincoln Memorial on Friday after the Railsplitters stunned top-seeded North Georgia 8-7 in 12 innings earlier in the day.

First pitch between Lander and Lincoln Memorial is scheduled for noon on Friday, May 15, in Dahlonega, Ga.

Related Stories

Related Videos

Now Playing: