DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont pushed across two runs in the eighth inning to edge LaGrange 3-2 on Sunday at Loudermilk Field.
The Panthers are now 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the USA South. The Lions improved to 5-1 overall and in the conference.
Zach English made his first start of the season for the Panthers. The freshman pitched into the seventh, allowing an earned run and six hits. He walked five and struck out eight.
The Panthers finished with six hits. Cain Sauls had two of the hits, including a double. He was 7-for-15 in the three-game series. Ty Edwards had a hit and drove in both of the Panthers' runs to finish the series with seven hits also and six RBIs.
The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. They loaded the bases on singles by Chris Laye and Chad Pigg and a walk to Jackson Patrick. With two outs, Edwards also walked forcing in Laye with the first run of the game.
The Lions tied the game with a run in the sixth. The Panthers retook the lead in the eighth inning.
Patrick reached on an error to start the inning and moved up to second on Jim Reed's sacrifice. Edwards followed with a base hit to drive in Patrick for a 2-1 lead.
The lead was short lived. The Lions came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 3-2. They were helped by two Panther errors in the inning.
Tyler Brooks (1-1) took the loss for the Panthers. He allowed the two unearned runs in the eighth after getting the final out of the seventh in relief of English.
The Panthers host Oglethorpe on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference game.
