Box Score

Demorest, GA -- The Piedmont College baseball team rolled to their third conference victory of the season taking down the visiting defending league champions LaGrange College 8-2 earlier this evening at Loudermilk Field.  The Great South Athletic Conference foe could not cool off the bats of the home team as PC collected 14 hits to the Panthers' five as the Lions roared to another home win moving their record at Loudermilk to 12-4 in the 2011 season.

The visiting Panthers struck first in tonight's conference showdown with a run in the top of the fourth giving LC the early 1-0 lead.  The Lions were quick to strike back in the bottom half of the inning with a Kyle Davis triple that scored a pair of Piedmont baserunners in Dave Bartek and Ethan Miers. 

After going up 2-1, the home team watched LaGrange come back to tie the ballgame up at twos with a run in the following inning.  However, catcher Garrett Lovelace had something to say about that deadlock in the bottom of the same frame as he deposited a Panther pitch over the left field wall for a three-run homer that put the Lions up 5-2 through five.

Starting pitcher Kevin Caldwell was Mr. Consistent once more going eight innings for Head Coach Jim Peeples striking out four without issuing a walk while scattering five hits on the evening.  After giving up those two single-run innings, Caldwell was steady for the next three innings shutting out the Panthers down the stretch retiring eight of 12 before heading to the dugout.

The Lions ensured that their ace would not be without insurance as PC put up a run in each their last three innings at the plate to pushing Piedmont further in front 8-2 heading into the ninth.  The home fans then knew what was coming as closer Matt Collins came on the mound to stike out all three Panthers that came to the plate in the ninth catching two looking. 

Helping to lead Piedmont to the six run decision was the bat of Garrett Lovelace which was responsible for the three-run shot in the Piedmont fifth that gave the home team the lead for good.  The sophomore catcher was two for four at the dish with a walk, three RBIs, and a run scored. 

Batting in a pair of Lions was junior Kyle Davis as the sophomore was also two for four in his tries at the plate drawing his 14th walk of the season.  Adding a RBI each was designated hitter Kevin McConnell, shortstop Dale Bartek, and second baseman John Duke as Bartek and Duke combined to go four of six offensively.

Getting the win was sophomore starter Caldwell who moves to 6-2 on the season including a perfect 2-0 in GSAC starts.  Reliever Matt Collins collected a trio of strikeouts to move his season totals to 48 K's on the mound for PC.

With the win, the Lions move to 19-12 overall, one win shy of their fourth consecutive 20-win season - a streak that began in the 2008 GSAC championship season which saw the Lions advance to the NCAA National Tournament.  Piedmont improves to 3-1 in conference play and will look to snag league win number four tomorrow afternoon when they again host LaGrange for a 3:00 afternoon game.  That April 9 contest will be the second of the weekend's three-game series with the finale set for a Sunday start.