LaGRANGE, Ga. - LaGrange outlasted Covenant to sweep a CCS doubleheader Saturday at Cleaveland Field in Williamson Stadium. The Panthers (13-9, 5-1 CCS) used a big eighth-inning rally to win Game 1 18-9, then overcame an early deficit in the second game to win 9-8. LC took the weekend conference series 2-1 from the Scots (11-9, 2-4 CCS).

Game 1: LaGrange trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. David Smigelski reached on an error to start the inning and Jorge Fragoso followed with the Panthers' first hit of the game. Curt Bonner hit a line shot over the left field fence just inside the foul pole to tie the game 3-3. It was Bonner's fourth home run of the season.

Smigelski hit long two-run two-out home run to left in the fifth to give LC a 5-3 lead. The lead was short lived as the Scots scored four runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to go up 9-5.

The Panthers used the long ball in their half of the seventh to tie the game again. Noah Preuer scored as Smigelski was safe on an error to cut the Scots' lead to 9-6. Fragoso bounced a long drive to right over the top of the fence off reliever Brady Daniell's for a three-run home run to tie the game.

LaGrange broke out in the eighth inning with a nine-run explosion. The Panthers needed only four hits in the inning, taking advantage of two walks and three hit batsmen. Riley George broke the tie with a two-run single, then Fragoso drove in another two runs with a base hit. Collins Jones capped the inning with a bases-clearing double and scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Connell White (1-1), the fifth Panther pitcher, picked up the win. White threw two scoreless innings, allowing a hit, while walking one and striking out one.

Fragoso finished the game with three hits, scored three runs, and had a season-high five RBIs. Adam Dorn also had three hits and scored three runs. 

Game 2: The Panthers overcame an early five-run deficit and seven errors defensively in the second game to complete the sweep.

Covenant jumped out to a quick lead, scoring five runs off Panther starter Keller Morey (4-1) in the first inning. LC got a run back in its half of the first, as Dorn led off the inning with a double and came home on Smigelski's run-scoring double. Trailing 6-1, the Panthers got RBI singles from George and Smigelski in the second inning. Dorn capped a four-run third inning with a two-run single to take a 7-6 lead.

Covenant tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, only to have the Panthers come right back in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead. Bonner was hit by a pitch to start the inning. One out later, Noah Preuer homered to right field and a 9-7 lead.

The Scots got an unearned run off reliever Jackson McElvy in the seventh to make it a one-run game. McElvy was making his first pitching appearance of the season. 

Caden Hare pitched two scoreless innings to earn his first save of the season. Hare surrendered a hit and struck out four. 

Up Next: The Panthers travel to Berry on Monday for a non-conference game starting at 6 p.m.