Friday, April 30, 2004
Ryals leads Lander baseball past Presbyterian, 9-3
GREENWOOD, S.C. – Jeremy Ryals hit a three-run homer and David Glover pitched seven strong innings to lead the Lander Bearcats to a 9-3 non-conference baseball victory over Presbyterian College Friday night at Legion Field.
Lander (31-21) scored eight runs in the third inning and Glover made the big lead stand up. Glover (7-6) allowed two runs on five hits, walked one and struck out six.
The Bearcats exploded for eight runs in the third inning, highlighted by Walter Cochrane’s two-run double and Ryals’ first homer of the season. Corey Reed hit a leadoff double to left and scored the first run of the inning when Jason Spivey laid down a bunt single that the pitcher threw past first base for an error.
David Walton followed with a single, Bob Fenn sacrifice bunted the runners to second and third, then Cochrane doubled home two. Jason Dickson walked and Jeff Whitfield hit an infield single to load the bases. Ryan Roeder hit a sacrifice fly, then Ryals homered over the left field fence.
The rally continued with Reed, Spivey and Walton each getting their second hits of the inning. Walton’s single scored Reed, who slid around the tag attempt at the plate to make the score 8-0.
Presbyterian (25-26) ended Glover’s shutout bid in the sixth when Kemper Booth singled, Evan Sowell singled, Donald Sheppard hit an RBI double, and Kevin White hit a sacrifice fly to center.
The Bearcats upped their lead to 9-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Fenn walked, moved to second on Dickson’s single, and scored all the way from second on a wild pitch.
The Blue Hose scored an unearned run in the ninth off reliever Patrick Hakey, who allowed two hits and one walk in two innings.
Spivey went 3-for-5 for Lander, Walton was 2-5, and Cochrane, Dickson and Reed each went 2-for-4. Ryals had three RBI and Cochrane two.
Evan Sowell went 2-for-3 for Presbyterian while Sheppard was 2-for-4.
Zachary Matthews (4-2) took the loss for the Blue Hose, allowing eight runs, 12 hits and one walk in 2 2/3 innings. Robert Cook and Dan Stankus each pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball in relief. Ross Ellis gave up one run and walked three in 2/3 of an inning.