Huntingdon edges Panthers to take GSAC series
April 13, 2008

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Huntingdon edged LaGrange 5-4 on Sunday at Posey Field in the rubber game of their GSAC weekend series. The Hawks (18-14, 6-3 GSAC) and the Panthers (19-15, 3-3 GSAC) had split a doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1, Huntingdon 15, LaGrange 9
The Hawks used an eight-run second inning and eventually led 13-3 after four innings. Taylor Files' grand slam off Jeff Tucker (3-4) highlighted the second inning for the Hawks.

Michael Sims led the Panthers' 16-hit attack with three hits, including a pair of solo home runs, scored three runs and drove in three more. Sims led off the game with his first home run to put the Panthers up 1-0. He also led off the fifth inning with a home run.

Patrick Langley added two hits and two RBIs for the Panthers. Cory Matticola and Jimmy Statler also had two hits. Chad Anderson led Huntingdon with four hits, including his first home run of the season.

Tucker allowed eight runs, seven earned in two innings. Nick Vitale relieved Tucker, pitching 5-2/3 innings. Vitale allowed seven runs; only three earned, walked two and struck out two. David Tillis pitched the final out of the eighth inning.

Game 2 LaGrange 6, Huntingdon 5
Eric Medlock's complete game and Jimmy Statler's home run lifted the Panthers to give them a split of Saturday's doubleheader.

Medlock gave up nine hits, did not walk a batter and struck out three to raise his record to 4-2. He gave up a three-run home run to Files and a game-tying two-run home run to Anderson. After a leadoff double by Files in the fifth, Medlock retired the final 15 batters to end the game.

Statler's home run came in the seventh inning to break a 5-5 tie. With two outs, Statler went the opposite way to right field off the Hawks' Will Cammack. It was Statler's first home run of the season.

Langley gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead in the first inning with his first home of the season. Sims and Seth Tucker had led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Files answered for the Hawks in the bottom of the inning with his home run to tie the game at 3-3.

The Panthers got back the lead in the second inning. Matticola's RBI single scored Tucker to put the Panthers up 4-3. They added an unearned run in the fourth to make it 5-3.

Huntingdon tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on Anderson's second home run in as many games. It stayed tied until Statler's go-ahead blast in the seventh put the Panthers ahead to stay.

The Panthers finished with 12 hits in the game. Tucker led the way with four hits and scored three runs. Sims and Jose Navarro had two hits each.

Game 3 Huntingdon 5, LaGrange 4
The Hawks pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on to take the weekend series. Scott Holloway came on in relief for Brad Vest in the ninth inning to get the final two outs for his fifth save of the season.

All of the Panthers' runs came on home runs. Matticola led off the second inning with his first home run of the season to tie the game at 1-1. Statler led off the fifth inning with his second home run in as many games to put the Panthers up 2-1.

Huntingdon took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kyle Eller hit a three-run home run off starter Cody Belt to put the Hawks on top. The Panthers tied the game in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Sims singled and Tucker followed with a two-run home run to tie the game.

The Panthers travel to Oglethorpe on Tuesday and to the University of the South on Wednesday. They host Piedmont in a three-game GSAC series beginning Friday.