LaGrange pounded visiting Oglethorpe 15-4 on Wednesday night at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. The Panthers upped their record to 6-4 with their fifth straight win. Oglethorpe slipped to 3-6.
The Panthers had their season high for runs and finished with 15 hits, also a season best. The first four batters in LC lineup combined for 12 hits, 9 RBIs, and 10 runs.
McKinley Erves had four hits, including a triple, scored three runs and drove in another four. Erves raised his batting average to .474, good for third in the USA South statistics. Jack Layrisson had three hits, including a triple, scored three runs and had three RBIs. Rhett Mixon had three hits and scored another three runs. Joe Ruth added two hits and two RBIs.
The Panthers used five different pitchers in the game. Baley Coleman (1-0) started and pitched 2-1/3 innings, allowing a run and four hits. He was followed by Cal Fuller, Will Queen, Tanner Chafin, and Spencer Douches. Douches struck out the side in the eighth and ninth innings to close out the game.
The Petrels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the innng, Erves singled with one out. Ruth and Layrisson followed with back-to-back triples for a 2-1 lead. Cael Chatham reached on a two-out error allowing Layrisson to scord the third run of the inning.
LC built a 9-1 lead through five innings. The Panthers got four runs in the fourth on Erves' two-run single, Layrisson' sacrifice fly, and E.J. Churchich's bases loaded walk.
Oglethorpe got two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to make it 9-4. The Panthers came back with six runs in their half of the seventh, taking advantage of five walks by Petrel pitching. Erves' triple drove in the first run of the innings. The Panthers had three triples in a game for the first time since March 18, 2018 doing it against Maryville.
The Panthers host the University of Dallas for a weekend series beginning Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. The two teams close out the series Sunday with a single game at 12 p.m.
