JACKSON, Miss. – The LaGrange College baseball team opened their three-game series at nationally-ranked Belhaven University with a 4-3 loss in extra innings in Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) action on Friday evening at Trustmark Park in Jackson, Mississippi.
THE BASICS
Score: LaGrange 3, Belhaven 4 – 10 Innings
Records: Panthers 15-13, 4-6 CCS | Blazers 21-8, 6-4 CCS
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Panthers put two on the board in the top of the first inning as freshman second baseman Collin McGhee (Ball Ground, Ga.) led off the game by reaching on a hit by pitch, followed by a single from senior shortstop Jackson McElvy (Kennesaw, Ga.). An RBI sacrifice fly from senior first baseman Curt Bonner (Cartersville, Ga.) plated McGhee, giving LaGrange a 1-0 lead. Three batters later graduate left fielder Jorge Fragoso (East Point, Ga.) stepped to the plate with one out and the bases loaded an smacked an RBI sacrifice fly to drive in McElvy to put the visitors up 2-0.
- Tied at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, LaGrange freshman right fielder Matthew Brown (Marietta, Ga.) stepped to the plate with two on and one out and hit a single up the middle that scored sophomore designated hitter Erick Rodriguez (Lilburn, Ga.) to give the lead back to the Panthers.
- Tied 3-3 going into extra innings, the Blazers won it in the bottom of the tenth of an RBI sacrifice fly to take the series opener.
- Facing the 16th best team in the country according to the latest NPI poll, LaGrange freshman pitcher Beau Collier (Labelle, Fla.) posted one of his best outings of his rookie campaign, going five innings on the mound and surrendering only two earned runs.
UP NEXT
- LaGrange and Belhaven are back on the field on Saturday when they play a double-header in Jackson to complete the series.
For continuing coverage of LaGrange College Athletics, visit lagrangepanthers.com and follow the Panthers on Instagram ( @lagrange_panthers ), Twitter ( @lcpanthers ) and Facebook ( LaGrange Panthers ).
