Albion (Mich.) outlasted LaGrange 12-7 on Sunday in Williamson Stadium at Cleaveland Field. The loss dropped the Panthers to 4-9, while the Britons were playing their season opener.
Albion built a 12-0 lead through seven innings. The Britons were helped by five Panther errors, leading to seven unearned runs.
Kenny Strack (0-1) took the loss for the Panthers. Strack went 5-1/3 innings, allowing eight runs but only three of the runs were earned. He gave up five hits, walked five and struck out two. Isaiah Whitfield, Thomas Embry, Josh Bricker, Justin Reed and Matt Steele followed Strack.
Mike Schypinski (1-0) shutout the Panthers over seven innings. Schypinski allowed only three hits, walked one and struck out three.
The Panthers scored all of their runs in the eighth inning off three Briton relievers. The Panthers had only three hits in the inning, taking advantage of five walks and two errors.
Evin Eichelberger had a pinch-hit double in the inning. Pinch-hitter Jim Reed and David Miller both forced in runs with bases loaded walks. The Panthers sent 11 men to the plate in the inning. Linwood Roberds reached on an error that brought in the final two runs of the inning to make it 12-7.
The Panthers finished with eight hits. In addition to Eichelberger, Miller also had a double.
The two teams play again Monday at 5 p.m. and finish the three-game series Tuesday at 4 p.m.
