MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga . | Ryan Hansen drove in five runs including the game-winning run in the top of the ninth as Lander University rallied to defeat Georgia College & State University 9-8 in a Peach Belt Conference baseball game Sunday (April 12) afternoon at John Kurtz Field.
The Bearcats, who won the weekend series, improved to 24-18 overall anf to 17-10 in the Peach Belt, while GCSU fell to 16-23 and 10-14. GCSU travels to Valdosta, Georgia, for a 5 p.m. game Wednesday (April 15) against Valdosta State University.
GCSU took an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the eighth.
Luke Boone started the rally with a one-out single to left and moved to second on
Blake Bellflower's single to right.
Tanner Patterson then drove in Boone with a two-out single to center.
The Bearcats only had one hit in the top of the ninth, but took advantage of three walks and two hit batters in the inning for their winning rally. Lowndes Still had a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the score at 8 before Hansen stroked a two-out single to left with the go-ahead run off GCSU reliever
Griffin Davis (0-2).
Lander reliever Joshua Sanchez as he worked around a hit batter and a single in the ninth to register his third save of the season.
Boone's double to left-center field scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning to give the Bobcats a 2-0 lead. Lander's Brody Winter got a run back with a solo homer to left field in the third before GCSU got the run back on a wild pitch.
Hansen tied the game at 3 on his two-run homer to left field in the fifth and took the lead at 5-3 an inning later on his single to left.
GCSU responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to reclaim a 6-5 lead. The Bobcats took advantage of a throwing error to score their first run before Cowan and Boone added RBI hits. GCSU added an insurance run an inning later to expand its lead to 7-5 on a Cowan single to left.
Landet then tied the game at 7 in the top of the eighth on Landen Still's two-run single to center.
GCSU outhit Lander 15-11. Cowan tallied four hits, while Boone and Patterson had three apiece.
Carson Phillips also contributed two hits.
About GCSU AthleticsÂ
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for five consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won six consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to theÂ
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