By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
MARYVILLE, Tenn. – No. 13/16 LaGrange (25-11, 11-4 CCS) went back-and-forth before surrendering five runs late as Maryville (21-13, 5-10 CCS) came away with a 7-2 victory in an NCAA Division III baseball game on Sunday, April 23.
After one hit apiece in the opening frame, both clubs would upgrade to runs in the second, beginning with the Panthers loading the bases with back-to-back singles and a walk. They would go up 1-0 on a double play before a fly out ended the inning and Max Bowers would leadoff the bottom of the frame with a walk and eventually come around on a single by Colin Dunworth.
The Scots Will Hubell drew a leadoff walk in the third, immediately stole second, moved to third on a single and scored on a double down the left field line by Ashton Whiteaker to take a 2-1 lead, something they would hold until the top of the sixth.
Over the next two innings the clubs would combine for just one hit before sophomore outfielder Jorge Fragoso (East Point, Ga.) laced a one-out triple down the right field line in the top of the sixth. Senior third baseman Joe Ruth (Chiefland, Fla.) then ripped a single to center to score him and knot it up at 2-2.
Maryville would make sure it wouldn't stay that way and did so right away in the home half of the sixth as Dunworth laced a leadoff double, Gabriel Lopez got plunked and both moved up a bag on a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Jimmy Meredith lofted a sacrifice fly and Hubbell knocked a two-out single to left to make it 4-2 before LaGrange worked their way out of further damage.
The Panthers notched a pair of singles in the seventh and got both runners into scoring position on a groundout before a fly out ended the threat. That would be their last sustained rally as the Scots put things out of reach in the bottom of the eighth with three runs on just two hits, with the big blow being a two-out single up the middle by Whiteaker. Zach Fritts would then add the third run to make it 7-2 on a single through the right side.
MU would then allow a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the top of the ninth before shutting it down and securing the five-run victory with a fly out.
Whiteaker led the Scots with a 3-for-3 day that included a double and three RBIs and Dunworth was 3-for-5 with a double, run and RBI. Lopez went 2-for-3 with a run and Hubbell was 1-for-2 with three walks, two runs and an RBI. Mitchell Grannan went seven on the hill, allowing just two earned runs and scattering seven hits to improve to 2-1.
Junior catcher David Smigelski (Canton, Ga.) went 3-for-3 with a walk to lead LaGrange while Ruth was 2-for-4 with the lone RBI. Fragoso laced a triple and scored to round out the offense and junior pitcher Slade James (Phenix City, Ala.) took the loss after allowing two earned runs and three hits against a pair of strikeouts. He falls to 1-1.
UP NEXT
The Panthers wrap up the regular season non-conference slate when they head to Emory on Tuesday, April 25. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Atlanta, Georgia.
