By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
LAGRANGE, Ga. – No. 2/10 LaGrange (17-6, 6-0 CCS) would rally from four down in the opener and take firm control early in the nightcap to pick up 15-7 and 7-1 victories to complete the series sweep over Covenant (7-10, 2-3 CCS) in an NCAA Division III baseball doubleheader on Saturday, March 25.
GAME 1: LAGRANGE 15, COVENANT 7
The Scots would waste no time as three straight singles to lead off the game led to Harrison Adelgren crossing home plate on a knock by Zeke Gilbert before Chris Savage doubled down the left field line to score Joseph Ridenour. With that putting runners on second and third, Kenny Mills then made it a 3-0 advantage with a sacrifice fly to center before the Panthers got a strikeout and groundout to prevent any further damage.
And that set the stage for them to do damage of their own as one out singles by sophomore outfielder Jorge Fragoso (East Point, Ga.) and senior third baseman Joe Ruth (Chiefland, Fla.) put runners on first and second. They wouldn't stay there long, however, as freshman catcher Curt Bonner (Cartersville, Ga.) laced a triple to deep center score them both and cut it to 3-2 in a nonce. Junior catcher David Smigelski (Canton, Ga.) then lofted a sac fly to center to plate Bonner and tie it up at 3-3 after one.
Covenant would break that deadlock in the top of the third as back-to-back hit by pitches to lead off the inning put runners on first and third, something that Mills would take advantage of with an RBI single through the left side for a 4-3 lead.
They would add to that in a big way the following frame as three straight one out walks would come home to roost when Ridenour cranked a double to the right centerfield gap, scoring two of them for a three-run lead. A pitching change would then allow only a sac fly to center from Gilbert to make it 7-3.
No shrinking violet when it comes to offense, LaGrange bounced back in the home half of the fifth when Fragoso singled with one out and Bonner pounded a double to left center to score him and cut it to three. It would then go from a three-run deficit to up five as the Panthers exploded for eight runs on 10 hits in the sixth.
That game changing inning would feature two-RBI singles by freshman shortstop Jackson McElvy (Kennesaw, Ga.), Fragoso and first baseman Brooks Short (Auburn, Ala.) and RBI singles from junior catcher David Smigelski (Canton, Ga.) and senior outfielder Rhett Mixon (Loganville, Ga.) to go from down 7-4 to up 12-7.
Having gotten a taste of the offense they are known for, the Panthers put another three runs on the board in the seventh with some familiar faces doing the damage. Ruth added on with a sac fly before Bonner ripped his second triple, this one down the right field line to score Fragoso, while junior outfielder Noah Preuer (Peachtree City, Ga.) pinch hit and lofted a sac fly to center to plate Bonner and make it 15-7.
That would be all it would take as LC would then go on to close out that eight-run victory as they held the Scots without a hit over the final two innings.
Ridenour led Covenant with a 2-for-4 day that included a double and two runs scored and Gilbert and Mills each had a pair of RBIs. Scott Smith started and allowed nine runs and 13 hits in five innings to take the loss and fall to 1-3 on the year.
Bonner would deliver a career game to lead LaGrange as he went 4-for-5 with two triples, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored while Fragoso wasn't far behind with a 5-for-5 day that included two RBIs and four runs scored.
Junior second baseman Adam Dorn (Canton, Ga.) went 3-for-4 with a run and Smigelski and Shorts each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, with the latter adding a pair of walks. McElvy added two RBIs and Preuer, Mixon and Ruth had the other three RBIs on the day. On the hill, freshman relief pitcher Eli Folds (Cullman, Ala.) delivered a dominant 3.2 innings of hitless relief that included four strikeouts to pick up the win to move to 1-1.
GAME 2: LAGRANGE 7, COVENANT 1
The Panthers would waste no time in continuing that offensive onslaught in the series finale as Mixon doubled to the right centerfield gap and Fragoso hammered a ball down the rightfield line and over the fence for a 2-0 lead. Covenant would halve that deficit in the top of the second as Chase McBryar delivered an RBI double to right center to score Savage but it would not be a portent of things to come.
LC would get that run back in the home half of the inning, however, as a single, walk and wild pitch put runners on first and third. McElvy then pounded a double to right to plate junior designated hitter Jared Aldridge (Carrollton, Ga.) to make it 3-1.
Ruth would then lead off the third with a double down the leftfield line, move to third on a Bonner infield grounder and come home on a sac fly by Smigelski. The fourth would see the Panthers triple that output as back-to-back singles by Short and Dorn would lead to McElvy dropping down a sac bunt and Mixon singling through the right side to score both and make it a five run lead. A single to left by Ruth then plated Mixon and made it 7-1 through four.
Following that offensive outburst over the first four innings the offense would go quiet as the teams combined for just six hits and no runs over the next four to head to the ninth with that same six run margin. Covenant would manage a pair of singles in that frame but would get no closer as the Panthers closed out the 7-1 victory.
McBryar would produce the one RBI for the Scots, going 2-for-4 with a double while Adelgren finished 2-for-4 with a walk. Zach Ferlita went 2-for-4 as the only other player with multiple hits and Savage laced a double and scored to round out the offense. Nick Pettit started and allowed seven runs in 3.1 innings to take the loss and fall 0-2 while Judah O'Neal (2.0 innings), Jackson Rau (1.2) and Aeden Beuning (1.0) combined to allow no runs and just four hits.
Mixon led LaGrange with a 2-for-4 day that included two RBIs, a double, walk and two runs while Fragoso belted a homerun as part of his 2-for-5, two RBI, one run outing. McElvy ripped a pair of doubles as he went 2-for-3 with an RBI, Ruth went 2-for-4 with a walk, run and RBI and Smigelski delivered a pair of walks and an RBI on a sac fly.
Senior pitcher Baley Coleman (Hiram, Ga.) delivered a command performance on the hill as he threw 7.1 innings of one hit, one run ball while ringing up 13 strikeouts. He moves to 2-2 on the year.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action with a single game against Berry on Tuesday, March 28 as the frontend of a home-and-home with Vikings. That game is slated for 6 p.m. at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium with the back half coming in Rome, Georgia a week later on Tuesday, April 4
