LaGrange rolled to its second USA South doubleheader sweep in as many days, sweeping visiting Mary Baldwin 9-1 and 11-3 on Sunday. The Panthers evened their season record at 11-11 and improved to 6-8 in the conference.
Dani Gravett (5-5) gave up an unearned run in four innings in the first game. In the second game; playing first base, Gravett had three hits, scored two runs and had five RBIs.
The Panthers gave Gravett all the runs she needed with six runs in the first inning. The first eight Panthers reached with six scoring. Danielle Newbern, who was 6-for-7 in the doubleheader, had a two-run single. Kelbi Burgering added a two-run double in the inning.
The Panthers added a run in the second inning and two more in the third. The game ended after five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.
Newbern's three hits led the Panthers' 11-hit attack. Kalin Oglesby was 2-for-2 with two runs scored. In addition to Newbern and Burgering; Laura Webber also drove in two runs.
In the second game, the Fighting Squirrels did all of their scoring in the first inning off Kayla Folds (5-4). After the first, Folds allowed only one base runner over the next four innings. She allowed two earned runs, walked two and struck out seven.
The Panthers came back in the second inning with two runs off a two-out base hit from Gravett to make it 3-2. The Panthers broke the game open in the fourth and fifth innings.
In the fourth, the Panthers batted around in scoring five runs to go up 7-3. Gravett's two-run single put the Panthers up 4-3. Courtney Beshel added an run-scoring double, while Newbern and Jordan Conner had RBI base hits in the inning.
The Panthers tacked on three more runs in the fifth. Courtney Beshel hit a two-run home run to left for two of the runs. The home run was Beshel's second of the season and the Panthers' first since March 6.
The Panthers closed out the game on the mercy rule in the sixth inning. Gravett reached on an error, allowing Christy Flick to score for the 11-3 final. Flick had led off the inning with a single.
The Panthers had a season-high 17 hits in the game. In addition to Gravett, Newbern, Beshel and Flick each had three hits.
The Panthers host Reinhardt on Wednesday, then play at Greensboro next Friday and at Methodist next Saturday in USA South doubheaders.
