Seventh-ranked LaGrange upped its season record to 19-2 with an 11-1 non-conference win over Stevens Institute at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium on Thursday.
The Panthers used a four-run fifth inning and a three-run sixth to break open a 3-1 game. Casey Bell and Cain Sauls had run-scoring doubles in the first as LC jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
Stevens (4-7-1) pulled within a run in the top of the fifth on Shaye Bartnick's RBI double off reliever Richie Post. LaGrange answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of wild pitches, balks and an error by the Ducks.
Blane Swift's two-run triple highlighted the three-run sixth inning. Blake Butcher's double in the seventh scored Bell for the 11-1 final seventh.
Butcher had three hits in the game, including two doubles, as the Panthers finished with 13 hits. Swift, Chad Pigg, and Cain Sauls each had two hits.
Zach English started and allowed just a hit in four innings to raise his record to 3-0. Post followed with two innings, then Colin Barrett for two scorless innings and Austin Perez worked the ninth to close out the game.
The Panthers will host Averett in a USA South doubleheader Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. and a single game Monday at 1 p.m. The teams were originally scheduled to play two games Saturday and a the one game Sunday but the weekend forecast forced the changes.
