scored on Dustin Averett’s single for a 2-0 lead. But Wolchik escaped further damage by retiring Mike McClellan on a pop out to first and Carson
Bowers on a rare 1-5-3 double play.
It appeared Lander might waste a scoring opportunity in the bottom
of the first after Lunde and Patrick Grady led off with walks. But Weston
Lawing hit a two-out, two-run double into the left field corner, tying the
game at 2.
Wolchik escaped more damage in the second when he stranded two
runners in scoring position after Blake Edwards and Collins reached on
infield singles.
The Bearcats threatened in the bottom of the second after Chris Hyatt’s one-out walk. But Columbus State left fielder Matt Nettles made a
spectacular catch as he spun around at the warning track to grab a Thomas Bess line drive for the second out, and then Hyatt was thrown out at
second trying to advance on a wild pitch.
Not to be outdone by the Cougars left fielder, Lander right fielder
Grady made a full-sprint diving catch of Averett’s line drive for the second
out of the top of the third followed by third baseman Colby Painter’s nice
defensive stop for the last out of the inning.
There was more excitement in the bottom of the third when Lunde
singled, Connor Lewis walked and Thomas Berry was hit by a pitch to
load the bases. When Lawing flew out to medium left, Lunde attempted
to score but was thrown out at the plate on a perfect throw by Nettles.
Cato was replaced on the mound after allowing two runs on two hits and
four walks in three innings. Graham Ramos led off against Mike McGinnity in the bottom of the fourth, reached on an error, and scored on Painter’s double to give the Bearcats a 3-2 lead.
Meanwhile, Wolchik was settling in on the mound and retired the
side in order in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Second baseman
Ramos ended the sixth with a nice catch in short right on a ball that was
in danger of dropping between three defenders.
With one on and two out in the bottom of the sixth (Painter was hit
by a pitch), Bess hit another long drive to deep left that Nettles caught.
Wolchik retired the side in order again in the top of the seventh, running
his consecutive outs streak to 16.
Wolchik’s effort was just