The LaGrange College baseball team beat Mississippi University for Women 15-9 in a game that featured 30 hits and 24 runs on Tuesday. The Panthers improved to 6-3, while the Owls fell to 3-4.
MUW took an early lead after senior centerfielder Matthew Windham hit his first home run of the season three pitches into the game. LaGrange responded with a run in the first inning and added another in the third to take a 2-1 lead. Windham tied the game at 2-2 with an RBI single in the fourth, but Zach Johnson put the Owls ahead with a two-run single later that inning.
The game changed dramatically in the sixth and seventh innings, with LaGrange scoring five runs in each frame. Despite the offensive surge, MUW trimmed the deficit to 12-9 in the eighth inning, thanks to hits from Baron Brack, Chase Marshall, and Swayze Rikard. LaGrange answered with three runs in the bottom of the eighth to secure the final score.
MUW mounted a late rally in the ninth, loading the bases before the game ended. A total of 11 pitchers were used, with MUW reliever Josh Mackey taking the loss. Both teams struggled with earned runs, each giving up nine.
The Owls will next play Friday at Belhaven University in Pearl, Mississippi.
