ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - LaGrange held off North Carolina Wesleyan for a 6-5 USA South win Monday at Bauer Field. The Panthers (4-7, 4-5 USA South) took two of the three games from the Bishops (5-7, 3-3 USA South).
Senior Brandon Espinsoa was 4-for-4, including two doubles, to lead the Panthers' 11-hit attack. The 11 hits tied a season high for the Panthers. Espinosa had seven hits and batted .533 in the three-game series.
Kenneth Strack (1-2) pitched five innings in relief of starter Drew Williamson to get the win. Strack allowed two runs, six hits, walked two and struck out two.
Gage Mooney came in for Strack in the seventh and pitched into the ninth inning, allowing a run on a hit. Blake Schuck got the final two outs to close out the win, earning his first collegiate save.
The Panthers did all of their scoring in their first at bat. They sent 11 batters to the plate in jumping out to a 6-0 lead.
Jon Brock led off the game with a double and scored the first run of the inning on a one-out single by Brent Kinsey. Later in the inning, Espinosa drove in two runs with his first hit. Brock capped the inning with his second double of the inning driving in the final two runs of the inning.
The Bishops got two runs in both the second and seventh innings. They added another in the ninth and had runners on second and third when Schuck entered the game.
Schuck retired Macon Hammond on a line out to third for the second out. He intentionally walked Stephen Machin to load the bases, then got Jake Alexander to hit a grounder to second to get the force out to end the game.
The Panthers host Berry in a non-conference game Tuesday in Williamson Stadium at Cleaveland Field beginning at 5 p.m.
