DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont edge LaGrange 9-7 in a USA South game Saturday at Loudermilk Stadium.

The loss left the Panthers 8-19 overall and 5-12 in conference play. The Lions, with their second straight win over the Panthers, improved to 19-9 and 11-6.

The Panthers jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning. Chris Laye's bunt single scored Jim Reed with the first run of the game. Reed had reached on an error to lead off the game.

With the bases loaded, Jake Hipple's base hit drove in two more runs to make it 3-0. One out later, Kyle Nerbone's RBI single and Ty Edwards' ground out brought home to more runs for a 5-0 lead. Keith Sims capped the inning with a two-out run-scoring double.

The Lions got two runs back in the first off Panther starter Zach Tatham. They added three more in the second to cut the Panthers' lead to one. Tatham left for Cole Anderson, giving up the five runs but only two were earned.

The Panthers got an unearned run in the fourth to go up 7-5. Casey Bell's fly ball was misplayed into a three-base error to lead off the inning. One out later, Alec Redden's single scored Bell.

Blake Schuck (0-2) relieved Anderson in the Lions' half of the fourth. The Lions pushed across three runs with the help of a Panther error in the sixth to take the lead for good.

The Panthers had 13 hits in the game. Nerbonne and Sims each had three hits. Cain Sauls had a pair of doubles.

The two teams close out the three-game series Sunday at 2 p.m.