LaGrange swept a non-conference doubleheader from Maryville on Saturday at Cleaveland Field at Wiiliamson Stadium. The Panthers (2-1) won a 17-7 slugfest in Game 1, then held on for a 3-2 win in Game 2.

In Game 1, the two teams combined for six home runs, four by LC. Cael Chatham, E.J. Churchich, McKinley Erves, and Jack Layrisson all went deep for the Panthers. LC had 13 hits in the game and took advantage of 11 walks issued by Maryville pitching.

Maryville (2-6) jumped out to a 7-2 lead going to the bottom of the fourth. The Scots' Ian Campbell drove in five of the runs with home runs in the first and second inning.

The Panthers answered with a five-run fourth to tie the game. Erves drove in the first three runs of the inning with his home run. After a walk to Joe Ruth, Jack Layrisson tied it at 7-7 with a shot over the right center field fence.

LC came back in the sixth with another five runs to take a 12-7 lead. The Panthers needed only two hits in the inning, taking advantage of two Scot errors. Ruth's two-run single capped the inning.

The Panthers put five more runs on the board in the seventh. Churchich homered to left, driving in Layrisson, who walked to start the inning. Chatham followed Churchich with his home run to make it 15-7. Erves walked with the bases loaded to force in a run and Ruth's second sacrifice fly of the game upped the lead to 17-7.

Erves finished with three hits, including the home run, and four RBIs. Rhett Hebert had three hits, including a double. 

Michael Menhart (1-0) got the win in relief. Mehnart allowed a run in 3-2/3 innings of work. Brett Caneega threw two scoreless innings and Jeff Norman retired the Scots in order to close out the game.

The second game was scoreless heading to the bottom of the fourth. Ruth tripled to right center with one out and came home on Layrisson's sacrifice fly for the first run of the game. Churchich kept the inning going with a double to left center. Chatham reached on a throwing error as Churchich came around to score to make it 2-0.

Baley Coleman (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings. He allowed three hits, struck out six, and did not walk a batter. The Scots had runners on second and third with one out in the fifth, but Coleman got out of the jam with a strikeout and fly out to end the inning.

Maryville loaded the bases with one out in the seventh off reliever Tanner Chafin. Spencer Douches came on in relief of Chafin. Pinch hitter Peyton Milam's sacrifice fly cut LC's lead to 2-1. Douches got out of the inning with a strike out for the third out.

LC picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Ruth led off the inning with a base hit to right. He moved over to third on a ground out and fly out. Chatham tripled off the wall in right center, scoring Ruth to make it 3-1.

Douches ran into trouble in the ninth. The Scots loaded the bases with one out. A walk forced in a run to make it 3-2. But Douches closed out the game with a strike out and a force out for his first save of the season.

Churchich, Ruth, and Hebert all had two hits as LC finished the game with nine. Hebert finished the day 5-for-7 with two doubles and two runs scored.

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

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