DEMOREST, Ga. - LaGrange overcame a six-run deficit, then exploded for five runs in the 12th inning to down Piedmont 12-7 on Sunday at Loudermilk Field.
The win stopped a five-game losing streak for the Panthers, now 9-19 overall and 6-12 in the USA South. They had lost the first two games of the series to the Lions (19-10, 11-7 USA South) by a total of three runs.
After losing a 6-0 lead in Saturday's 9-7 loss, the Panthers fell behind by the same score Sunday. The Lions put up six runs in the third inning off starter Justin Yestrumsky.
Yestrumsky pitched 3-1/3 innings giving up all seven runs, but only three were earned.
The Panthers' bullpen shut out the Lions over the remaining 8-2/3 innings, allowing only four hits. Daniel Garrett followed Yestrumsky for 2-2/3 innings.
Gage Mooney (2-0) pitched a season-high five innings to pick up the win. Mooney surrendered just one hit, did not walk a batter and struck out three. Tyler Brooks retired the Lions in order to close out the win in the 12th.
The Panthers got on the board with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Cain Sauls and Keith Sims had run-scoring singles in the inning.
Trailing 7-2, the Panthers got within two with a three-run seventh. Alec Redden hit a one-out solo home run, his first of the season; then Ty Edwards drove in two more runs with a double to make it 7-5.
The Panthers tied the game in the eighth. Chris Laye's base hit scored Jim Reed, who had led off the inning with a single. With the bases loaded, Casey Bell came home with the tying run as Sauls reached on a fielder's choice.
The Panthers, who had a season-high 20 hits, broke the tie in the 12th. Alex Murfin led off with a single and went to third on Reed's double. Adam Terrinoni was intentionally walked to load the bases for Laye.
Laye cleared the bases with a double for a 10-7 lead, but was out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple.
The Panthers reloaded the bases on a walk to Redden, then back-to-back hits by Kyle Nerbonne and Keith Sims. Edwards capped the inning with a two-run single to up the lead to 12-7.
Sims finished the day with four hits. Edwards had three hits and along with Laye had four RBIs.
The Panthers will play Greensboro in a three-game USA South series beginning Friday. The two teams will play at N.C. Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, N.C. on Friday, then in Wilson, N.C. on Saturday and in Zebulon, N.C. on Sunday as part of the USA South Spring Festival.
