Panthers open season with 14-2 win over Oglethorpe
Feb. 6, 2008

ATLANTA, Ga. - LaGrange College opened its 2008 season with a 14-2 win over Oglethorpe University at Anderson Field. Senior Seth Tucker led the Panthers with a career game.

Tucker hit his first two collegiate home runs and drove in five runs. He was 3-for-5, including a double. Sophomore Robbie Shelton also had a home run for the Panthers. Shelton, Michael Sims and Patrick Langley all had two hits.

Justin Phelps pitched the first five innings to get the win. He allowed a run on four hits, while striking out three and walking two. Eric Medlock, Jonathan Chapman, Curt Ellison and Rad Mitchell each pitched an inning.

LaGrange jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Michael Sims led off the game with a walk. Seth Tucker followed with a first-pitch home run down the left field line for a 2-0 lead. It was Tucker's first collegiate home run. The Panthers added two more runs with the help of two Stormy Petrel errors in the inning.

The Panthers increased their lead to 7-0 with three runs in the third inning. Robbie Shelton led off with a single and stole second. He moved over to third on a ground out and scored on Trey Walker's ground out. Blake Allen walked and later scored on a wild pitch. Sims scored the final run of the inning, scoring as Langley reached on a fielder's choice.

The Panthers put the game out of reach with four runs in the fourth to go up 11-0. Shelton led off the inning with a home run, hitting the first pitch from reliever Brendan Brickhouse. Tucker capped the inning with a two-run double down the left field line.

The Panthers closed out the scoring with a run in the eighth and another in the ninth to close out their scoring. Sims tripled to lead off the eighth inning and scored on Langley's double to make it 13-1. In the ninth, Jose Navarro led off with a walk, moved up to second on a wild pitch and came around to score as Eric Crumley reached on an error.

The Panthers play in the Wilson/DeMarini Classic in Jackson, Miss. The Panthers face host Millsaps on Friday, Rhodes on Saturday and the University of the Ozarks on Sunday.