By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
OXFORD, Ala. – Taking on what has been the nation's consensus No. 1 team for the majority of the 2023 season, No. 13/16 LaGrange (24-9, 10-2 CCS) hammered No. 2/1 Birmingham-Southern (31-6, 14-4 SAA) by a 15-3 score in an NCAA Division III baseball game on Tuesday, April 18.
The third meeting between the teams this season would be the charm as the Panthers pounded out 17 hits but would get the scoring started on an error in the first. After loading the bases with an error, walk and single, freshman shortstop Jackson McElvy (Kennesaw, Ga.) legged out an error on his opposite number to plate freshman outfielder Curt Bonner (Cartersville, Ga.) with the bases loaded. BSC would escape any further damage as they induced a fly out to keep it at 1-0.
It wouldn't stay there long though as LaGrange would load the bases again in the second, setting the stage for junior designated hitter Jared Aldridge (Carrollton, Ga.) to deliver a two-RBI single to extend to a three-run advantage. The homestanding Panthers would respond in the bottom of the third, however, as a one-out walk to Jackson Webster would bit them when Ian Hancock belted a two-run homerun to make it 3-2.
LC would get a leadoff double from junior second baseman Adam Dorn (Canton, Ga.) in the fourth before back-to-back strikeouts took the shine off the inning. Sophomore outfielder Jorge Fragoso (East Point, Ga.) then singled to right field and a strong throw nabbed the runner at the plate to end the inning and keep it at a one-run margin.
The Panthers would add on in the fifth, however, as Bonner laced a one-out double to the right centerfield gap, went to third on a groundout and came home on an Aldridge single. That two-run lead would then balloon to eight in the sixth as five hits led to six runs and put the game out of reach.
That outburst would be fueled by a Fragoso RBI single, two-RBI double to left by senior third baseman Joe Ruth (Chiefland, Fla.), sac fly by junior catcher David Smigelski (Canton, Ga.) and a two-RBI single by freshman first baseman Brody Hollingsworth (Powder Springs, Ga.) to expand the lead to 10-2.
BSC would scratch a run in the home half of the sixth but it would be a drop in the ocean as the waves just kept coming in with five more runs in the seventh to make it 15-3. A quiet bottom of the seventh would then lock that in as the final and give the Panthers easily their biggest win of the season.
Hancock would lead Birmingham-Southern with a homerun and two RBIs while Jack Fleming had the only other RBI. The Panthers would manage just five hits on the day with Webster notching one of them with two walks and a run to round out the offense. Tyus Carter started and allowed three runs – five earned – over three innings to take the loss and fall to 3-1.
Aldridge would deliver one of his best games to pace LaGrange as he went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and a run while Ruth was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, walk and three runs scored. Fragoso went 3-for-5 with a double, RBI and two runs and Hollingsworth was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. McElvy finished 2-for-5 with a run and RBI and Smigelski had the other two RBIs.
Freshman pitcher Eduardo Peralta (David, Chirqui, Panama) came up big in the biggest of situations, throwing a complete game five-hitter and allowing just three runs while striking out six to pick up the win against the top team in the nation. He moves to a perfect 6-0 on the year.
UP NEXT
LaGrange returns to Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) play as they travel to Tennessee for a three-game set with Maryville. That series will run from April 21-23 with first pitch set for 7 p.m. for the opener and 2 p.m. for each of the final two games.
NOTES
The 12-run loss is by far BSC's largest of the year, trailing a pair of four-run defeats to No. 5 Trinity of Texas (2/12) and 8-4 at Berry (3/19) … it also marks the first time all year that the Panthers have lost back-to-back games having just dropped a 4-0 decision to Centre on Sunday, April 16 … previously Birmingham-Southern had notched 9-5 and 6-5 victories over LaGrange on February 18 and March 22, respectively.
