LaGRANGE, Ga. - LaGrange swept a non-conference doubleheader from visiting Meredith on Sunday at the LC Softball Complex. The Panthers (7-11) came from behind to take Game 1 3-2, then completed the sweep with a 4-2 win in the second game.
Game 1: Claire Chamberlain pitched a complete game in the circle to lead the Panthers. She scattered seven hits, walked one, and struck out four.
Meredith (8-10) got an unearned run in the first and added a run in the third to take a 2-0 lead. The Panthers did all of their scoring in the fourth inning.
Zoe Veres led off the inning for LC with a walk and
Hannah Barnett entered the game as a pinch runner. Barnett stole second and moved over to third on a ground out. She beat the throw home to score as
Cannon Ramsey reached on a fielder's choice. Ramsey eventually also scored on a close play on
Lexi Mitchell's grounder.
Jaselyn Couch's single to center field plated
Kayla Helms with the go-ahead run.
In the seventh, Meredith put the tying run on base with a one-out single by Mariah Bell. Ramsey ran down Emilee Lewis' line drive to short, then threw back to first to double up Bell to end the game.
The Panthers had six hits in the game. Couch had two of the hits, while
Breonn Newbille was 2-for-2 at the plate.
Game 2: Jenna Yeary threw the Panthers' second straight complete to turn back the Avenging Angels. She struck out six, walked three, and gave up seven hits.
Ramsey helped Yeary defensively in the top of the first inning. On a similar play like the one in the first game, the freshman turned a line drive into another double play. Yeary stranded two runners to get out of the inning.
The Panthers picked up an unearned run in their half of the first. Couch led off with a single and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Chamberlain. Veres followed with a single through the right side. Couch stopped at third, but came home when the throw from the outfield got away.
LC made it 4-0 with a three-run fifth inning. The Panthers loaded the bases with no outs.
Kayla Helms' sacrifice fly drove in pinch-runner
Kinsey Gaddy, who was running for Veres, who led off the inning with a single.
Alexa Gonzalez came home on a wild pitch and Ramsey scored the final run of the inning on Mitchell's RBI single through the left side.
Meredith got on the scoreboard in the sixth inning. Ashbee Standridge led off with a home to run to center. The Avenging Angels loaded the bases with no outs, but Yeary worked out of the jam, allowing only one more run.
In the seventh, Mia Staggs had a one out single to keep up Meredith's hopes. But the Panthers turned another game-ending double play. Chamberlain caught Standridge's pop up to second, then threw to first to catch Staggs off the base to end the game.
Up Next: The Panthers play at Covenant on Monday in a Collegiate Conference of the South doubleheader. The first game begins at 2 p.m., followed by the second game.
