Panthers break tie in late innings to down Oglethorpe
Feb. 28, 2008

LaGrange College broke open a tie game in the late innings for a 9-3 win over Oglethorpe University at Cleaveland Field on Thursday. It was the Panthers' (4-3) second win of the season over the Stormy Petrels (2-6).

Nick Vitale (1-0) pitched 2-2/3 innings of scoreless relief in his first appearance of the season. He relieved starter Jeff Tucker in the sixth inning. Vitale retired all seven batters he faced and had a strikeout. David Tillis pitched a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.

LaGrange jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Oglethorpe starter and loser Sean Tuttle (1-2). Michael Sims led off the inning with a double to right center. He moved over to third on a passed ball and scored on Patrick Langley's triple to right center. Langley scored the second run of the inning on Cory Matticola's ground out.

The Panthers extended their lead in the fifth inning. With two outs, Sims tripled to the wall in left field. Seth Tucker followed with a hit through the left side, scoring Sims to make it 3-0.

Tucker retired the first 11 batters he faced. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Stephen Archer broke up the no-hitter for Oglethorpe with a one-out single to center. The Stormy Petrels loaded the bases in the inning with one out. Tucker got out of the jam by striking out Matt Anderson and Brenden Pilger to end the inning.

Oglethorpe got to Tucker in the sixth inning for all of its runs. The Stormy Petrels tied the game on Andy Farrey's two-run single. Tucker got J.J. Rizzo to line out before giving way to Vitale. Vitale got Archer to line out to Blake Allen who threw back to first to get Farrey to end the inning.

LaGrange answered the Stormy Petrels with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. The Panthers opened the inning with four straight hits to chase Tuttle. Korey Ison had an RBI single to score Matticola, who had started the inning with a single, to put the Panthers back up 4-3. Trey Walker followed with a two-run single to make it 6-3.

The Panthers added three insurance runs in the seventh inning. Matticola doubled to left center, driving in Seth Tucker and Langley to make it 8-3. Ison finished the scoring with a two-out double to score Matticola for a 9-3 lead.

The Panthers finished the game with 13 hits. Ison led the Panthers with three hits and had two RBIs. Sims, Tucker, Langley and Matticola all had two hits. Matticola finished with three RBIs in the game. Archer finished with two of the Stormy Petrels' six hits.

The Panthers host Millsaps College on Friday beginning at 4 p.m. It is the first of a three-game series. The two teams play at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.