Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LaGrange, GA - The Piedmont College softball team got a clutch performance from rising star Laura Carter who had a career day at the plate to help push the Lady Lions past hosting LaGrange College in a pair of games in South Georgia.  Carter had a sac fly in the 8th inning of game two to break a 2-2 tie and give PC a one-run, extra inning win after the team rolled in game one 8-1 courtesy of the centerfielder's 3-of-4 showing with a home run in the opener.

In the opener, Piedmont appeared to be setting the stage for another easy-going conference sweep though the Lady Lions only scored more than once in an inning twice as they finished off an 8-1 victory with timely hitting and another dominant performance in the circle by sophomore and possible Pitcher of the Year candidate Jordin Ellingson who tossed a complete game striking out eight while allowing just the one earned run.  

Offensively, the team would be paced by Carter's three-for-four showing with a home run though she was joined by freshman Allison Vaughn who also went yard with a two-run shot over the fence in left in the top of the first.  After Vaughn gave PC a 2-0 lead, Carter's homer over the centerfield wall in the second and two more runs in the Piedmont 3rd gave PC a 5-0 advantage after just three innings, more than enough for Ellingson to work with.

After a scoreless 4th, Carter continued to batter the Panther pitching staff in the 5th when she singled in another run scoring teammate Abby Atkinson to make the lead 6-0 after five.  An Olivia Duncan RBI single in the 6th added a run to the Piedmont lead before youngster Avery Migues doubled in another to make the Lady Lion 8-0 heading into the bottom of the 7th.

Thought LaGrange would get a run in their final chance at the plate, it was too little, too late for the home team as PC won 8-1 in game one of the doubleheader.  Ellingson got the win in the circle to move to 10-1 on the year, but she would only increase her total later in the day after trouble in the middle innings for the visitors. 

In game two, runs would be tough to come by as neither team scored multiple runs in a single inning though PC did have a two-run lead heading into the bottom of the third.  PC picked up the first score of the encore when Whitney Wolfe singled to score senior Lauren Head before Carter picked up her first RBI of game two on a shot down the left field line which brought freshman Allison Vaughn across home plate.  

However, despite the early advantage, the Lady Lions would not be ahead long as the Panthers used single run innings of their own in the next two turns at the plate to tie things up at 2-2.  That would also end the day for Piedmont pitcher Brittney Head who was relieved by Ellingson, the winning pitcher of record in the opener, after Head allowed a pair of earned runs on five hits while striking out four and not issuing a single walk. 

Ellingson's work in the circle continued to be dominant though in relief of her veteran teammate as she tossed four pressure innings with two of those coming as one mistake could have meant a walkoff win for the hosting Panthers.  That would also have been the end of Piedmont's winning streak over NCAA Division III teams as their only two losses on the season came against NAIA power Brenau University. 

With that streak looking to be in doubt to reach sweet 16 as the madness of March is in full effect around collegiate athletics, Piedmont looked for the calming touch of a rising player displaying veteran savvy as Laura Carter stepped up in the Piedmont 8th after Ellingson got out of a 1-out, 2-on jam in the bottom of the 7th.  Carter took advantage of the chance that her pitching teammate provided the Lady Lions as the youngster hit a booming sac fly to center scoring none other than Ellingson from third after an Abby Smith sac bunt had moved Ellingson just 60 feet away from breaking the tie. 

After she had crossed the plate to break the deadlock, Ellingson tossed a scoreless frame in the bottom of the 8th sitting down the Panthers in order as Piedmont was able to hang on for a 3-2 win in the second game of the doubleheader sweep.  With the win, Piedmont moves to an incredible 16-2 finding new ways to win each time out and pushes their winning streak over Division III teams to now 16 straight in 2014.

The victories also move Piedmont to now a perfect 10-0 in conference action as they remain just one of two undefeated teams in the USA South along with 4-0 Averett University.  Since their debut USA South season in 2013, the Lady Lions are a combined 29-3 in league play having won their last 14 regular season league contests dating back to last season.

Piedmont won't have long to rest on its laurels though as the Lady Lions host a round robin tourney this weekend with Salem College and Truett-McConnell College coming to town as the girls from Demorest will face both opponents once each on Friday and Saturday, March 14th and 15th.  The action kicks off with Piedmont's first game against Salem College at noon while the Lady Lions will follow that up with a 2:00 pm contest against Truett-McConnell College.  All games will be covered courtesy of the Mane Event Broadcasting Network which features integrated live stats with a live video feed as well.