By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director
RALEIGH, N.C. – A dominant pitching performance to start the day led to an 11-0 victory for LaGrange (5-11, 0-0 CCS) over Salem (0-4, 0-0 ODAC) and another produced the same for Eastern Mennonite (4-2, 0-0 ODAC) in NCAA Division III softball action on Sunday, March 5.
GAME 1: LAGRANGE 11, Salem 0 (5 Inn.)
After a scoreless first inning that saw both teams strand a runner the Panthers would take over offensively while dominating the circle. They would score in each of the next four innings, beginning with a pair of scores in the top of the second.
That frame would see sophomore outfielder Abby Vanhoose (LaGrange, Ga.) walk and steal second when freshman outfielder Abby Hefner (Talking Rock, Ga.) drew the free pass and then moved into scoring position herself. Vanhoose was then caught trying to steal home but Hefner took advantage and moved to third.
That move would pay off as sophomore second baseman Kenzie Hornsby (Tallassee, Ala.) singled to third and took second and senior third baseman Reagan Gunter (Villa Rica, Ga.) poked one through the left side to score Hefner. Freshman designated player Katelyn Minnihan (Stockbridge, Ga.) would then strike out but LaGrange would benefit as she forced a throw on a dropped third strike, allowing Hornsby to score for a 2-0 lead.
Freshman pitcher Claire Chamberlain (Rome, Ga.) continued to mow down Spirit hitters with a 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning and the offense would pay that off immediately in the top of the third. Junior outfielder Marley Smith (Smithfield, Ga.) drew a leadoff walk, swiped second and freshman shortstop Kelsea Moody (Johns Creek, Ga.) ripped a single to left for a three-run advantage.
The fourth would be where the Panthers went from a steady offense to putting the game away as they plated four runs on three hits to extend to a 7-0 margin. That would take the form of a massive two-out rally as LC loaded the bases on a single, walk and hit batter, setting the stage for Moody to put one down the left field line for a two-run double. Freshman first baseman Isabelle Herren (Buford, Ga.) would then follow suit with a two-RBI two-bagger of her own to center.
They would replicate that effort in the top of the fifth with another four runs as three walks and two wild pitches put traffic on the bases. That traffic would turn into runs with a wild pitch, an RBI single by Moody and two-RBI double by Herren to make it 11-0. Three outs in the bottom of the seventh would then close out the commanding victory.
Salem would not mount any sustained offense as they managed just one hit, that a single by Madeline Brown as part of a 1-for-2 day. Alli Stertzbach threw all five innings, allowing 11 runs, nine hits and eight walks against just four strikeouts to suffer the loss.
Moody would lead the hit parade for LaGrange as she went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and a run scored while Herren was 2-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs. Gunter would produce the only other RBI and Minnihan was 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs. Smith rounded out the offense with a 1-for-2 day that saw her reach on a walk and score three times.
In the circle, Chamberlain was nearly unhittable as she allowed just one hit as she delivered the shutout with eight strikeouts over five innings. She moves to 4-4 on the year as a true freshman.
GAME 2: EASTERN MENNONITE 11, LAGRANGE 0 (6 Inn.)
It would go the complete opposite way in the Panthers' final game of the 2023 Grand Slam Softball Classic, however, as Eastern Mennonite delivered an 11-0 victory of their own.
They would not start that onslaught right away though as the teams combined for just three hits over the first two innings. EMU came to life in the third though as they pounded out five hits – all singles – to plate four runs. Those would be five straight to start the inning and score two of those runs while an error and a bases loaded walk accounted for the other two.
The Royals added on two more runs the following inning when Samantha Hensley ripped a double to right to bring home Emerson Adkins and Reese Rogers to stretch to a 6-0 advantage. They would then put the game away in the top of the sixth as EMU came away with four singles and benefited from three errors to go up 11-0. That put the Panthers in a position of need to score at least four times to avoid being run-ruled but would manage just a leadoff single to close it out.
The top four batters in the Eastern Mennonite order accounted for 10 of their 15 hits as they went 10-of-16. Leading that group was Hensley with three RBIs as part of a 2-of-4 day and Fravel finished 2-for-4 with two runs and a pair of runs scored. The very top of the order would set the table with Rogers and Kaitlyn Fletcher both going 3-for-4 with three and two runs, respectively.
Coming off the game of her career in the opener, Moody would have the one hit for the Panthers as she went 1-for-2. Herren would throw the first three innings, allowing three earned runs and eight hits to suffer the loss and fall to 1-5.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to the field with their first Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) action when they host Wesleyan on Thursday, March 9. Game time for that doubleheader is set for 3 p.m. at the LC Softball Complex.
