Box Score PEMBROKE – The 21^st-ranked UNC Pembroke baseball team plated two or more runs in four different innings and held off a late-inning rally by visiting Lander to finish off a three-game sweep of the Bearcats with a 13-11 triumph over the Bearcats on Sunday at Sammy Cox Field.
 
Ethan Baucom doubled and drove in a pair of runs on a 3-for-4 outing to pace the Braves (11-1, 5-1 PBC) who will close out a season-opening 13-game home stand on Wednesday against Catawba. Four other players turned in multi-hit days for UNCP, including Seth Hartings who doubled and scored four runs to highlight a 2-for-4 hitting line.
 
Mike Fitschen doubled and drove in three runs on a 4-for-6 hitting line for the Bearcats (5-8, 1-5) who also got home runs from three other players as well.
 
Aaron Biggerstaff (2-0) was the last of three relief pitchers on the day and picked up the win despite allowing a pair of hits in 1-1/3 innings of work. Starter Tripper Ergle (1-1) took the loss for the visitors after surrendering eight runs (three earned) on six hits and a pair of walks in three innings from the hill. He also struck out four.
 
Lander scratched the scoreboard first thanks to a RBI groundout from Nathan Schreckengost in the top of the first, but the Black & Gold utilized a pair of hits and two costly errors by the Bearcats to plate five runs and take the lead for good.
 
The Bearcats trailed 11-3 after the bottom of the fifth, but significantly cut into their deficit with four runs in the sixth and three more in the eighth. Fitschen hit a RBI single with two outs in the ninth to make it a two-run game and get the tying run aboard for the visitors, but Biggerstaff got Schreckengost on a game-ending lineout minutes later.
 
UNCP will close out its season-opening 13-game home stand on Wednesday when they welcome Catawba (7-9) to Pembroke for a 3 p.m. contest at Sammy Cox Field.