DEMOREST, Ga.- Piedmont held off LaGrange 7-6 in the Panthers' USA South opener Friday at Loudermilk Field. 

The Panthers (0-2, 0-1 USA South) had eight hits in the game. Cain Sauls and Keith Sims each had two hits. Chris Laye had two RBIs, while Jackson Patrick scored twice.

Eric Morell (0-2) started and took the loss for the Panthers. He allowed all seven runs in five innings of work. He walked one and struck out three.

Daniel Garrett finished on the mound for the Panthers. Garrett threw three shutout innings, allowing a hit and striking out one.

The Panthers jumped on Piedmont starter Chris Goershel (2-0) for four runs in the third inning. Patrick walked to lead off the inning. He moved up to second on Sims' sacrifice, then scored when Ty Edwards singled and the ball was misplayed in the outfield.

With two outs, the Panthers strung together three straight hits by Sauls, Alec Redden and Laye to go up 4-0. Laye's two-run single followed Redden's RBI hit to cap the inning.

The Lions (4-0, 4-0 USA South) came back with three runs in the bottom of the third and four more in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead.

The Panthers got within a run in the sixth. Ethan Nieman reached on a one-out walk. Patrick followed with a base hit and an error on the play allowed Nieman to score. Sims' RBI single scored Patrick to make it 7-6.

The two teams resume their USA South series on Saturday. Game time is 3 p.m.