GREENWOOD – Highlighted by Kevin Childs' grand slam home run, the Lander baseball team erupted for 12 eighth-inning runs Tuesday afternoon to rally past Carson-Newman, 13-6, in a non-conference contest at Legion Field.
Lander outhit the Eagles improves to 8-5 overall, while Carson-Newman drops to 3-11.
Pinch hitter Ryan McNulty got the scoring outburst started with an RBI double, then Childs followed with a two-RBI single. With bases loaded, Erik Lunde had an RBI-bunt single, Robert Skinner a two-RBI single, then Jeff May stroked a two-RBI double to centerfield. McNulty closed out the inning with his grand slam.
The Bearcats' Brandon Miller (1-0) earned the win with one strikeout and two earned runs on three hits in two innings pitched.
Carson-Newman's Ryan Fillers (0-3) took the loss, walking one and allowing five earned runs on four hits in one-third of an inning.
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when, with bases loaded, Lucas Mohon and Jonathan Dalton scored on groundouts by Troy Zawadski and Cody Nix.
Mohon's two-run homer in the fifth stretched the Eagles' advantage to 4-0
Lander cut the score to 4-1 in the fifth on May's RBI single which plated Jordan Owens.
Dalton and Zawadski both had solo homers in the eighth to give Carson-Newman a 6-1 margin.
For Lander, Childs went 3-for-5 with one homer, one double, two runs scored and six RBI; Lunde went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI; May 3-for-5, two runs and three RBI; and McNulty 1-for-1 with one double, one run, and one RBI.
For Carson-Newman, Mohon went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI; Dalton 2-for-3, two runs and one RBI; and Zawadski 1-for-3 with one run and two RBI. Mason Guymon batted 2-for-2 with one run.
Carson-Newman returns to action on Friday against Anderson (S.C.) in South Atlantic Conference action. First pitch is at 2 p.m. at the Silver Diamond Baseball Complex.