Lander Advances to PBC Championship Series with 4-1 Win over Columbus State

5/4/2026 7:39:00 PM | By: Turner Kirby - Director of Athletic Communications

GREENWOOD - Zach Cowart opened the game with a solo homer and the Lander baseball team broke a late tie to defeat Columbus State, 4-1, on Monday afternoon in the Greenwood Bracket Final, sending the Bearcats to the Peach Belt Conference Championship Series for the second straight season.

Lander (34-19) advances to face top-seeded North Georgia in a best-of-three series at Bob Stein Stadium in Dahlonega beginning Friday at 5 p.m. The Bearcats will look to claim their second consecutive PBC Tournament title and third overall.

Cowart wasted no time setting the tone, launching the sixth pitch of the game over the right-center field wall for his sixth homer of the season to give Lander a 1-0 lead.

Offense proved hard to come by for much of the afternoon as Columbus State's Sawyer Wilson retired the Bearcats in order in four consecutive innings. The Cougars, who put a runner on base in each of the first five innings, tied the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly.

Lander's pitching staff worked out of traffic most of the day but kept the damage limited. Peyton Nelson tossed a season-high 4.1 innings, allowing one run and striking out three. Joshua Sanchez followed with two scoreless innings before Evan Demurias took over to finish the game.

The Bearcats broke through in the seventh. Lowndes Still led off with a double down the right field line and was replaced by pinch runner Jarren Metcalf. After a walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Cooper Backman grounded into a fielder's choice that brought home Metcalf. A throwing error on the play also allowed Riley Hood to score, giving Lander a 3-1 lead.

Columbus State threatened in the eighth with a walk and two singles, but a ground ball to Caden Crews resulted in a force out at home, and Demurias followed with a strikeout to end the inning.

Brody Winter added insurance in the bottom half with a two-out solo homer to extend the lead to 4-1.

Demurias then delivered the only 1-2-3 inning of the day for the Bearcat pitching staff, retiring the Cougars in order in the ninth to secure the win and send Lander to the championship series.

More information on the matchup with North Georgia will be released by the conference office on Tuesday.

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