AMERICUS, Ga. - LaGrange lost a season-opening doubleheader at Georgia Southwestern on Sunday. The NCAA Division II Hurricanes (7-5) won the first game 5-4, then took the second game 8-5.
The Panthers had 22 hits in the doubleheader. Sophomore Emily Barrs went 5-for-8 in the two games with a home run and four RBIs.
In the first game, the Panthers trailed 3-2 heading to the top of the seventh. With two outs, Sydney Hodorff doubled to keep the inning going. Barrs followed with her home run to put LC ahead 4-3.
The lead was short-lived as the Hurricanes pushed across two runs in the bottom of the inning to take the game 5-4. Katelyn Little took the loss in relief of Chelsea Twardoski. Twardoski started and pitched five innings.
Southwestern took a 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second game. The Panthers cut the deficit in half with two runs in the second inning. Amber Arnold had an RBI double and scored as McKenzie Brunel reache on a error.
Trailing 5-2, LaGrange tied the game with two runs in the fourth and another run in the fifth. Barrs drove in the two runs in the fourth on a single, while AnnaLisa Chavez reached on an infield single to tie the game.
The Hurricanes broke the tie with two runs in the bottom of the fifth and added an insurance run in the sixth for the 8-5 final score. Jessica Perkins took the loss, pitching five innings of relief.
The Panthers play a doubleheader at Birmingham-Southern on Wednesday.
