Panthers blank Oglethorpe 7-0
April 15, 2008

ATLANTA, Ga. – Three LaGrange pitchers combined for a 7-0 non-conference win over Oglethorpe at Anderson Field on Tuesday. The win upped the Panthers' record to 20-15, while the Stormy Petrels dropped to 11-27.

The Panthers swept the three-game season series with the Stormy Petrels. The Panthers won 14-2 at Anderson Field in the season opener Feb. 6 and at Cleaveland Field 9-3 on Feb. 28.

Senior Justin Phelps got his second win in as many starts against the Stormy Petrels. Phelps threw seven scoreless innings, allowing only three hits. He walked four and struck out three. In his last two starts, Phelps has pitched 13 scoreless innings. David Tillis and Jonathan Chapman finished the Panthers' first shutout of the season with a scoreless inning each.

The Panthers took advantage of wildness by Oglethorpe's Spencer Kennedy in the first three innings to go up 3-0. Kennedy walked four batters in three innings of work, with three scoring.

In the first inning, Michael Sims walked to start the game. He stole second, moved over to third as Seth Tucker struck out and scored on Patrick Langley's sacrifice fly to right field. Jimmy Statler walked with one out in the second inning and came all the way around to score on Jesse Brown's double off the fence in right center for a 2-0 lead. Tucker walked to lead off the inning and promptly stole second. He scored on Langley's base hit off first baseman Andy Farrey's glove.

Sean Tuttle threw three scoreless innings in relief of Kennedy. The Panthers got four hits off Tuttle but were frustrated by having two runners picked off and another thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.

The Panthers struck for three two-out runs in the seventh inning off reliever Casey Kuebler. Sims reached on a fielder's choice and proceeded to steal second, then third. Langley got his third RBI of the game with a hit through the left side to score Sims. Langley stole second and scored on Corey Matticola's double to deep center. Pinch-hitter Brandon Mahoney followed with a single to center to drive in Matticola to put the Panthers up 6-0.

The Panthers padded their lead to 7-0 in the eighth inning. Jose Navarro led off the inning with a single. He stole second, moved over to third on a ground out and scored on Sims' ground out.

The Panthers travel to the University of the South on Wednesday for a non-conference game. The Panthers return home Friday to take on nationally-ranked Piedmont in the first of a three-game GSAC series.