NEED TO KNOW:
Score: Piedmont 10, LaGrange 9 F/10
Records: Piedmont, 21-9 (8-3 CCS); LaGrange, 14-18 (6-5 CCS)
DEMOREST, Ga. - In dramatic fashion, the Piedmont University baseball team earned a come-from-behind win over LaGrange in extra innings 10-9 on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Demorest.
Piedmont trailed by six early in the contest and was down 7-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh when the Lions reeled off six runs on four hits and an error to tie the contest at 9-9.
It took extras to seal the deal but
Trace Cate was able to post the walkoff hit to right field scoring
Ben Connelly to lift the Lions to victory.
After the Lions were able to shut down the Panthers offense behind a complete game from
Zeke Swartz, LaGrange saw its bats wake up early in game two of the series, with three runs in each of the first and fourth innings to build a large cushion.
The damage could have been worse in the early going, but Piedmont starter
Bodie Eilertson stranded the bases loaded to end a threat in the second.
Trailing by six runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Lions took advantage of four consecutive walks to plate their first run. Then, after a pitching change, a sacrifice fly from
Ben Connelly and an RBI single from
Carter Few made it 6-3.
LaGrange built back the six run advantange with a pair in the sixth and another run in the seventh to lead 9-3.
In the seventh, a lead-off error proved costly as
Cody Funk was aboard and back-to-back outs could have ended the frame. Instead, Piedmont sent a total of 10 batters to the plate and drove in six runs on four hits and a pair of walks.
The bases were loaded when Head Coach
Justin Scali opted for a pinch hitter bringing
Davin Miller to the plate. He crushed one deep for a bases-clearing triple to knot the game up at nine and bring life back to the Lions.
Neither team managed more than a single hit in the eighth or ninth innings as
Braden Simms entered for Piedmont to attempt to close out the contest. With Cate's game-winner in the home half of the 10th, Simms earned the win pitching the final three innings without allowing a run and just four hits.
TURNING POINT:
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Trace Cate posted the game-winning hit with a solid shot to right field past the extended glove of LaGrange's Jorge Fragoso for the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
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Trace Cate was 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI as one of three Lions to post a pair of hits in the game.
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Davin Miller had just one at bat but made the most of it with the game-tying bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the seventh to put the Lions squarely back in contention.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- The Lions were out-hit by the Panthers 16-9 in the game.
- Piedmont has won two straight against LaGrange for the second straight home series against the Panthers.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
- To stay up to date on all information regarding Piedmont University Athletics, be sure to visit PiedmontLions.com and connect with the Green and Gold on social media. Follow the Lions on
Twitter: @PiedmontLions,
Instagram: @PiedmontLions, and
Facebook. To follow each Piedmont athletic program on social media, use the Social Media Directory at PiedmontLions.com or
click here.
