NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 9, #3 LaGrange 13
Score: Piedmont 9, #3 LaGrange 11
Records: Piedmont, 14-16-1; LaGrange, 27-4

LaGRANGE, Ga. - The Piedmont University baseball team had a strong showing Friday in a doubleheader against LaGrange, but the Panthers were able to squeak out a pair of wins. Piedmont dropped a 13-9 game in the opener and a walk-off homerun cost the Lions the contest in game two 11-9.

CARTER BALLSTADT moved to the top of the single season record books for homers in a season with a homerun in game two giving him nine on the year, topping the previous mark of 8 set in 2010.

GAME ONE:
The Lions were first on the board taking a lead in the first after a run was walked in. Piedmont added to its lead in the third inning taking a 4-0 advantage. 

In the third, Piedmont managed three runs on three hits but also left the bases loaded. The Panthers answered in the home half of the third with a five spot as all 13 of LaGrange's runs were scored in two innings of work. 

LaGrange took the lead 5-4 but Piedmont was able to tie it again after back-to-back walks to open the frame followed by a scorched single by GRANT OLSON. 

The two were knotted through the fifth and sixth innings, but in the seventh, the home team came alive. Following the seventh inning stretch, the Panthers scored eight runs to claim a convincing lead and despite Piedmont adding four runs in the final two innings, LaGrange prevailed in a 13-9 game. 

Piedmont out-hit LaGrange 13-12 in the contest while both sides committed one error. 

GAME TWO:
The two were scoreless through the first two innings before Piedmont claimed a pair of runs in the third to take the lead. With two outs, HEATH WALDROP doubled and ALEX GONZALEZ left the yard giving Piedmont a spark. 

LaGrange neutralized the early offense by the Lions with three runs of their own in the third inning to take the lead. 

Piedmont went back to work in the fifth with four runs on three hits including a 3-run homer for CARTER BALLSTADT to become Piedmont's career single season homerun record holder. 

The Lions led 6-3 after Ballstadt's bomb and increased the lead to 7-3 the following inning. LaGrange answered back in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to trail by one. 

The Panthers reclaimed the lead with three runs in the seventh and Piedmont entered the ninth inning trailing 9-7. The Lions pieced together timely hitting to score a pair and tie the contest heading to the bottom of the ninth. 

With two outs, LaGrange had a single to put the tying run on and Joe Ruth sealed Piedmont's fate with a 2-run shot to walk it off in the home half of the ninth. 

Up next, Piedmont hosts Oglethorpe on Tuesday for a midweek, non-conference matchup. 

TURNING POINT:
--LaGrange used an eight run seventh inning in game one to claim the lead and silence Piedmont's threat. 
--A two-out two-run homerun by Joe Ruth was the difference in game two as the Panthers secured a walkoff win. 

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
--JACKSON RANDOLPH was 2-for-4 in the opening game with two RBI as one of five Lions in the game to have two hits. 
--ALEX GONZALEZ continued his hot streak going 3-for-5 with three RBI. 
--CARTER BALLSTADT became the single-season leader in Piedmont's NCAA era for homeruns with his ninth of the season on Friday. 

NEWS AND NOTES:
--The Lions held early leads in both contests and continued to fight till the end. 

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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