PEMBROKE – The 18th-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team scored 20 or more runs for the second time in seven days and worked well into the night to post a series-clinching 24-9 victory over visiting Lander on Saturday evening at a well-saturated Sammy Cox Field.

The victory marked the 18th win in the last 23 outings for UNCP (33-10, 17-9) who matched a school record with its 17th Peach Belt Conference triumph of the season as well. It was the fifth loss in the last six outings for the Bearcats (21-25, 10-19) who have now dropped three straight in the series with the Black & Gold.

NCAA home run leader Collins Cuthrell hit a pair of bombs and drove in six runs on a 5-for-6 night for the hosts, while Drew Cole homered and scored four times on a 4-for-5 hitting line. Ben Schmucker (3-for-5, 3 RBI) and Zade Denton (2-for-4, 4 RBI) both hit home runs for the Braves as well.

Thomas Berry doubled in a pair of runs and scored twice on a 3-for-4 night to pace Lander.

Zach Andrews (5-0) worked five innings from the hill to pick up the win for the Braves and improve to 2-0 in a starting role this season. Andrew Reardon (1-4) yielded nine runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 4-1/3 innings of work to saddle the loss for the Bearcats. He also struck out three.

Matt White's two-run single with two outs in the third gave the Bearcats their first lead of the series, but UNCP knotted the score back up in the bottom of the frame, and then pulled ahead for good on run-scoring knocks by Cole (RBI single) and Cuthrell (2-run HR) in the fourth.

UNCP added plenty of cushion to its advantage after scoring eight runs on six hits and five errors by the visitors in the fifth, but lit up the scoreboard for 10 more runs in the seventh to leave no doubt.

The teams will close out their weekend set on Sunday at Sammy Cox Field. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. UNCP's 15-member senior class will be honored in a pregame ceremony.