By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
LAGRANGE, Ga. – In a game of "he who scores last, scores best", No. 4 LaGrange (8-4, 0-0 CCS) would be on the short end of that equation as they dropped a 10-9 decision late to Wittenberg (4-1, 0-0 NCAC) in an NCAA Division III baseball game on Monday, March 6.
In a game that featured a combined 23 hits and 19 runs the teams got the bats going early as the Tigers manufactured a run with a leadoff single, sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice for a 1-0 lead in the first. It would be the Panthers' turn in the bottom of the second though as they turned three singles into as many runs with the aid of three Wittenberg errors.
The third would see WU replicate their offense from the first with another leadoff single by James McAuley and a fielder's choice and sac fly once again brought him home, this time to close to 3-2. Freshman catcher Curt Bonner (Cartersville, Ga.) would reach on a one-out single in the home half of the inning and then take second on interference and then scored on a dropped fly ball to get that run right back.
It would remain a 4-2 margin until the fifth and it would change dramatically at that point as Wittenberg plated four runs on three hits and an error. Fueling that lead-changing rally was a two-RBI single by Dylan Jackson sandwiched in between run scoring knocks from Michael Bronowski and Matt Moore. That offensive explosion took them from down two to up 6-4 through five.
Over the next two innings LC would knot it up as senior third baseman Joe Ruth (Chiefland, Fla.) scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth before Bonner got thrown out at home looking to tie it. They would accomplish the latter in the sixth as Bonner would come through with a sac fly to make it 6-6.
The seventh would see Wittenberg retake the lead with a pair of bases loaded walks by Ben Seibert and MacAuley and an eighth inning RBI single by Moore. They could then only watch as LaGrange battled back to tie it at 9-9 in the eighth. The damage that inning would come from an RBI single by junior first baseman Tray Owens (Franklin, Ga.) and a two-RBI knock to center by junior outfielder Gabriel Pallo (Melbourne, Fla.).
There would be one last haymaker in what felt like a title fight the entire way and that would come at the hands of the Tigers. A one-out single by Maxwell Monachino and a fly out in that frame set the stage for Luke Thomas who ripped an RBI double for his only hit of the night – and one that gave WU a 10-9 lead.
With runners on first and second the Panthers loaded the bases with an intentional walk and then got out of the jam with as they rung up the next batter. They would not be able to mount a rally, however, as Wittenberg closed out the narrow one run victory with a 1-2-3 inning.
Jackson led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 day that included a run and pair of RBIs and Moore finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Conor O'Malley went 1-for-3 with two runs, two walks and two RBIs and MacAuley was 2-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. Michael Osmond threw the first four innings, allowing four runs – none earned – while Nick Cunningham tossed a scoreless 1.1 innings and was the beneficiary of that ninth inning run as he picked up the win and moved to 1-1.
Pallo would anchor the Panthers' offense as he went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored while Bonner, fresh off Collegiate Conference of the South Rookie of the Week honors, was 3-for-4 with an RBI and pair of runs. Owens and senior outfielder Rhett Mixon (Loganville, Ga.) added the other RBIs and junior reliever Jack Richards (Fayetteville, Ga.) suffered the loss, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing a pair of earned runs. He falls to 0-1.
UP NEXT
LaGrange hits the road for three games at the USA Stadium Complex in Millington, Tennessee from March 10-12. That trip will see them face Centenary (11 a.m.), Westfield State (2 p.m.) and Chicago (11 a.m.) beginning on Friday, March 10.
