LaGRANGE RALLIES TO DOWN BASEBALL TIGERS, 4-3

Game Box Score

LaGRANGE, GA (March 9, 2005)—LaGrange College scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to come back an defeat the Hampden-Sydney College baseball team in a South region battled Wednesday night at LC’s Cleaveland Field.  With the win, the Panthers improve to 8-5 while the Tigers fall to 9-5. 

Hampden-Sydney led, 3-2, heading into the bottom of the ninth before the Panthers rallied to post two runs thanks to a leadoff triple by Michael Sims, followed by an RBI single from Derrick Manley and the game-winning RBI hit by Nick Nelson.  Both runs were scored off Tiger ace John Schoenholtz (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia/McCallie School) who came on to close out the contest in the bottom of the ninth but instead took his first loss of the season. 

Hampden-Sydney scored its first run in the top of the third inning as Jay Lilley (Chesapeake, VA/Western Branch) scored off a grounder by Mike Clark (Kinsale, VA/Washington and Lee).  The Panthers tied the game in their half of the fifth inning as Derrick Manley singled home David Lockman.  The Tigers then pushed two more runs across in the seventh inning as Chris Padgett (Williamsburg, VA/Jamestown) and John Schoenholtz each knocked in runs. 

Tiger junior righthander Michael Hall (Leonardtown, MD/St. Mary’s-Ryken) was the first of six pitchers in the game for H-SC as he worked three innings and allowed none runs on two hits.  Freshman Daniel Hadra (Mechanicsville, VA/Atlee) allowed four hits and one run through two innings of work before turning it over to junior Jayson Hanky (Richmond, VA/Benedictine), who worked a perfect sixth inning.  Freshman Brock Ward (Lanexa, VA/New Kent) took over in the seventh and allowed one run on two hits, while Jeff Martin (Richmond, VA/Meadowbrook) worked a perfect eighth inning before turning things over to Schoenholtz. 

LaGrange’s Joey Merrifield worked sixth and two-thirds innings on the hill, surrendering eight hits and three runs, while Travis Thomas picked up the victory after completing the final two and one-thirds innings and allowing no runs and just one hit. 

Hampden-Sydney returns from its southern swing Saturday as the Tigers welcome Old Dominion Athletic Conference-foe Eastern Mennonite University to Yank Bernier Field at 12 pm Saturday, March 12, for a conference doubleheader.

-www.hsc.edu/athletics-