NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 7, #9 LaGrange 2
Score: Piedmont 10, #9 LaGrange 3
Records: Piedmont, 19-11 (5-5 CCS); #9 LaGrange 22-9 (9-2 CCS)

DEMOREST, Ga. - The Piedmont University baseball team swept #9 LaGrange in CCS action Saturday at home with a pair of convincing victories, outscoring the Panthers 17-5. The Lions won 7-2 in the series opener and finished the day with a 10-3 victory in game two. 

Game one: Piedmont 7, #9 LaGrange 2

The Lions were the first on the board in game one after an error in the third inning allowed CARTER BALLSTADT to reach and NATHAN MIX scored. LaGrange was able to answer quickly though in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 1-1. 

BODIE EILERTSON held the Panthers hitless through the first 3.2 innings as the first hit of the game was the RBI single in the top of the fourth. In the sixth, LaGrange threatened with a pair of singles but Eilertson kept them off the board and gave his offense a chance to get back to work. 

Piedmont was also able to record a pair of singles in the sixth inning and converted that into a pair of runs to take a 3-1 lead after a SCOTT LYON 2-RBI single. Piedmont added another in the seventh, but the Panthers answered to make it 4-2 in the eighth. 

BRADEN SIMMS entered in the eighth and shut down the Panthers' attack. The Lions were able to capitalize on the Panthers' pitching change and tack on three in the eighth to leave no doubt. 

TRACE CATE and ISAAK MULLANACK both had multi-hit games in game one adding two hits each. Piedmont totaled eight hits to the Panthers' six.

Game two: Piedmont 10, #9 LaGrange 3

Piedmont fell behind in game two as the Panthers were able to score in the second off a pair of hits. ZEKE SWARTZ settled in to pitch 6.1 innings giving up nine hits and three earned runs. 

The Lions did not trail long with a run in the third to make it 1-1 and an eerily similar start in game two. Piedmont took the lead with three straight singles to start the bottom of the fourth and extended the lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning. 

With the bases loaded, CARSON STROVINSKAS pinch hit in the DH spot and delivered a bases-clearing triple to make it 5-1. Strovinskas later scored in the inning on an error to make it 6-1. 

In the seventh, LaGrange scored two before NATHAN BOYCE was brought in to close out the game. He struck out two to end the seventh inning and was a gem defensively for the Lions. 

Piedmont added three runs on two hits in the bottom of the seventh for good measure and a 10th and final run in the eighth. Boyce surrendered two hits in the eighth but stranded both after a heroic catch by KYLE CARLSON at third to end the inning. 

The Lions host LaGrange for the series finale Sunday at 2 p.m.

TURNING POINT:
--The Lions rode the momentum of solid pitching in both contests as both starters, BODIE EILERTSON and ZEKE SWARTZ, earned the victory. 

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
--BODIE EILERTSON pitched seven innings in game one giving up just six hits and two earned runs while adding three strikeouts.
--BRADEN SIMMS was electric in the final two innings of game one as he did not allow a single hit, facing the minimum of six batters and added three strikeouts. 
--NATHAN BOYCE pitched the final 2.2 innings of game two allowing just two hits while striking out three batters and did not allow a run. 
--TRACE CATE was an impressive 4-for-5 in game two with two runs scored. 

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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