BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - LaGrange knocked No. 4 Birmingham-Southern from the unbeaten ranks with a 4-1 victory at Striplin Field on Sunday. The win helped the Panthers (2-4) avoid the sweep in the weekend series. The host Panthers are now 4-1.
McKinley Erves and Joe Ruth each had two hits for the Panthers. Erves hit his first collegiate home run and added a double. He is batting a team-leading .400 on the season.
J.R. Robinson (2-0) pitched into the seventh before exiting with one out. Robinson scattered five hits and an unearned run. He walked three and struck out two. Baley Coleman pitched the final 2-2/3 innings for his second save.
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Erves opened the scoring with his solo shot with one out. LC strung together three straight singles by Joe Ruth, Jack Layrisson, and Trey Pearce. Pearce's hit drove in Ruth and Layrisson for the second and third runs of the inning.
LC added to its lead in the third inning. Erves doubled with one out and came around to score on Ruth's hit to make it 4-0.
BSC got on the board with an unearned run in the third. Coleman relieved Robinson with one out and a runner on second in the seventh. He got out of the inning by pitching around a walk and an error.
In the ninth, the host Panthers put two runners on. Coleman stranded runners at first and third to close out the win.
The Panthers open their USA South schedule next weekend at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. They will play a three-game series against N.C. Wesleyan, beginning with a doubleheader Saturday. It is the start of a 15-game home stand for LC.
