GREENWOOD, S.C. – For the second straight day, UWG softball was on the wrong end of a one-run decision against Lander, dropping the final game of the Brianna Surrento Kickoff Classic by a 7-6 score on Sunday afternoon.
 
West Georgia (3-4) nearly erased a four run deficit over the final four frames, but cam up a run short as Lander (7-1) defeated West Georgia for the second straight day. The Bearcats also defeated the Wolves 9-8 last night in a seventh-inning walk off.
 
Sunday's game was a back-and-forth affair early, with four lead changes in the first two innings.
 
A monstrous blast from Kristyn Nix in the first inning put West Georgia up before Kaley Dowdy even touched a softball, but the lead would be short lived. In the bottom half, Lander's Shannon Antonini went yard herself, driving in two to grab the lead for the Bearcats.
 
West Georgia retook the lead in the bottom of the second, loading the bases after Ava Ramirez began things with a single down the line. The runs crossed on a wild pitch and a throwing error.
 
Again, the lead was short lived as Lander put together a two-run second of their own with three hits and an error. In the second, Al Thomas went to his bullpen replacing Kaley Dowdy with Macy Ann McKnight and McKnight got a big strikeout to end the frame.
 
Lander added three runs on three hits and a UWG error in their half of the fourth to extend their cushion to four runs.
 
In the fifth, UWG got two runs back as Jacie Arrington led off with a single and turned it over to the top of the lineup. Hannah Scarbrough then slugged a two-run home run to cut the deficit in half at 7-5, Bearcats.
 
Ava Ramirez drew a walk to lead off the top of the sixth, and Al Thomas went to his bench, pinch running with freshman Addison Sturdivant. After Sturdivant swiped second, Jacie Arrington delivered a clutch two-out RBI to make it a one-run, 7-6, Bearcat lead.
 
In the seventh, Chandler Mevis reached and Alley Taylor then singled with two outs, but the Bearcats threw pinch runner Katie Hassenboehler out at third to end the game.
 
Freshman Emma Worley did an outstanding job neutralizing the Lander offense, pitching 2.1 innings of shutout, one-hit relief while striking out two.
 
Offensively, the Wolves had eight hits led by two each from Nix and Arrington. That duo also dorve in an RBI apiece with Scarbrough recording two RBIs.
 
West Georgia will return to action on Tuesday afternoon, traveling to Georgia College for a 2 p.m. nonconference doubleheader.
 
Notable Numbers
- Nix's first inning home run was the first of the junior's career.
- Hannah Scarbrough slugged two home runs this weekend now has seven career home runs.
- Emma Worley made her collegiate debut, entering the game to pitch in the fourth inning. She recorded her first career collegiate strikeout in the fifth inning.