MARYVILLE, Tenn. - Streaking LaGrange swept Maryville 8-4 and 17-3 in a USA South doubleheader Sunday. The wins completed a three-game weekend sweep of the Scots and upped the Panthers' winning streak to seven games.
LaGrange (15-7, 7-1 USA South) outscored Maryville (6-17, 2-7 USA South) 44-13 in sweeping the Scots for the second time this season. The Panthers batted .392 as a team, with 10 doubles and three home runs.
Sophomore shortstop Cael Chatham batted .692 (9-for-13) with a double, two home runs, and 13 RBIs for the weekend. In the second game Sunday, Chatham went 3-for-3, including a grand slam, and a career-high six RBIs. He had five RBIs in Saturday's 19-6 win. He extended his hitting streak to 14 games and has brought his average up from .154 to a team-high .381. Chatham leads the team with five home runs and has 22 RBIs.
Game 1
In the closest game of the weekend, Chatham broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with a one-out solo home run. The Panthers added two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to pad their lead to 7-2. Joe Ruth had a two-run single in the sixth. J.R. Robinson (2-1) allowed four runs in five innings to get the win. Tanner Chafin threw a scoreless sixth inning. Spencer Douches picked up his fourth save of the season with three scorless innings, striking out five. Chatham and Ruth each had three hits as the Panthers finished with 11 hits.
Game 2
The Panthers scored their first seven runs on two swings of the bat. In the first, they loaded the bases on a walk, and back-to-back singles. With one out, Chatham went deep over the right field fence for a 4-0 lead. It was the first grand slam by a Panther since James Poropatic hit one against Oglethorpe on April 3, 2018. In the third inning, the Panthers loaded the bases again. Jared Aldridge cleared the bases with a double to the gap in left for a 7-1 lead. LC put the game out of reach with a seven-run fourth. Rhett Mixon had a two-run double in the inning. Chatham added an RBI single in the fifth. The Panthers closed out their scoring in the seventh on Ruth's RBI double and Judd Moore's run-scoring single. Michael Menheart (2-0) went four innings, allowing a run in four innings. Ethan Fry pitched two innings and Brett Caneega pitched a scoreless seventh inning. The game was called after the seventh on the 12-run mercy rule.
By the Numbers
During the Panthers' current win streak they have raised their team batting average from .286 to a conference-leading .315. The Panthers lead the conference in slugging percentage (.470) and on-base percentage (.419). Chatham is now tied for fourth in the conference in home runs and sixth with a .595 slugging percentage.McKinley Erves is tied for eighth with 27 RBIs.
The Panthers host Brevard in a three-game USA South series next weekend.
