ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. - LaGrange rolled past Greensboro 12-4 on Friday at N.C. Wesleyan College's Bauer Field. The game was the first of a three game USA South series as part of the USA South Spring Festival.
The Panthers pounded out 15 hits in raising their season record to 10-19 and conference mark to 7-12. The Panthers' 4,5 and 6 hitters in the lineup did most of the damage.
Kyle Nerbonne, Cain Sauls and Alec Redden combined for seven hits and eight RBIs. Nerbonne had three hits and RBIs each.
The Panthers struck first in the game with a run in the first inning. Jim Reed got things going by reaching on a passed ball before stealing second. Chris Laye brought Reed in with a double down the left field line for the early 1-0 lead.
The Pride answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off starter Jarred Adams to go up 2-1.
Trailing 3-1, the Panthers regained the lead with three runs in the third inning. Casey Bell and Redden led off the inning with back-to-back hits. Sauls' two-run single to right center tied the game at 3-3. Nerbonne knocked in the final run of the inning with a single to left field to make it 4-3.
However, The Pride answered in the bottom half of the inning with an inside the park home run off the bat of Brandon Soden tying the game at 4-4.
The Panthers took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth inning. The first three batters of the inning reached before a sacrifice fly by Laye made it 5-4. Redden reached on an error that pushed the next run across and Sauls scored the final run of the inning with a single up the middle upping the lead to 7-4.
The Panthers extended their lead to 9-4 in the fifth with a bases loaded two-run single by Redden.
The Panthers added another run in the sixth with an RBI single by Ty Edwards. Nerbonne finished the scoring with a two-run single in the seventh for the 12-4 final score.
Adams pitched seven innings to raise his record to 3-4. He gave up the four runs; but only two were earned, 11 hits, walked three and struck out one.
Chris Dunn and Josh Bricker each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.
The two teams will meet again in Zebulon, N.C. at Five County Stadium for game two of the three game series Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
