For Immediate Release
May 1, 2006
LaGrange wins GSAC championship in dramatic fashion
DEMOREST, Ga.- LaGrange College won the 2006 GSAC Baseball Championship Tournament in dramatic fashion Monday. Sophomore catcher Stephen Cheney hit a two-out two-run walk-off home run to lift the Panthers to a 12-11 win over top seed and tournament host Piedmont at Loudermilk Field.
The third-seeded Panthers (26-16) swept through the tournament unbeaten. They beat the top-seeded Lions (27-17) twice and second-seeded Huntingdon. The championship was the first for the Panthers since 2003, which was at Piedmont also. The Panthers are 6-0 in GSAC tournament games at Piedmont.
Piedmont scored four runs in the first inning and two more in the second to grab a 6-0 lead. The Lions had only two hits off Panther starter Jeremy Dockins and reliever Seth Harris but took advantage of five walks, a wild pitch and three passed balls. Designated hitter Andy House got the Lions going with a two-out two-run home run off Dockins. Justin Phelps, the third of five Panther pitchers, held the Lions in check until the seventh inning.
The Panthers staged the first of two comebacks in the sixth inning. Trailing 8-1, they scored seven runs in the inning to tie the game at 8-8. It was the third time in as many tournament games the Panthers had scored seven runs in an inning.
Patrick Langley started the inning with an infield hit and moved over to third on a double by Michael Sims. Langley scored when Brandon Mahoney reached on an error by third baseman Stan Brosko. Andrew Keith walked to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Jesse Brown punched a hit through the right side, scoring two more runs to make it 8-4.
Jose Navarro ended up at second after reaching on a throwing error by Brosko on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Keith came around to score on the play further cutting Piedmont’s lead to 8-5. The Panthers loaded the bases with two outs. Langley cleared the bases with a double into the left field corner tying the game.
The tie was short lived. Piedmont scored three runs in the seventh inning to retake the lead, 11-8. Walker Searcy capped the inning with a two-run double off Jacob Sanders, who had relieved Phelps in the inning.
It remained 11-8 until the ninth inning. With one out, Mahoney doubled to right field. Keith followed with a double to right center, scoring pinch-runner Tyson Sandlin for the inning’s first run. With two outs, pinch-hitter Jordan Velez singled to right center, scoring Keith to keep the inning going.
Cheney came to the plate for his first at-bat of the game and the tournament. He had entered the game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. Cheney drove Lions’ reliever Josh Berens’ first pitch over the center field fence for the game-winner. The home run was the first of the season for Cheney. It set off a wild celebration at home plate by the Panthers.
Shaun O’Hara (1-0), the last of the Panther pitchers, pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get the win. He walked two batters in the inning but got out of the jam without any runs scoring.
The game was the last for seniors Rod Durden, Kevin Finnegan, Nick Nelson and Sanders. During their four years, the Panthers won 117 games, three GSAC regular season titles, two GSAC tournament championships and a USCAA national championship.
Courtesy of LaGrange College Sports Information Department
Great South Athletic Conference
2006 Baseball Championship Tournament Results
Loudermilk Field, Piedmont College, Demorest, Ga.
Saturday, April 29
Game 1- #4 Maryville 27, #5 Fisk 2 Recap Box Score
Game 2- #3 LaGrange 10, #2 Huntingdon 1 Recap Box Score
Game 3- #1 Piedmont 5, #4 Maryville 3 Recap Box Score
Game 4- #2 Huntingdon 20, #5 Fisk 0 (Fisk Eliminated) Recap Box Score
Sunday, April 30
Game 5- #3 LaGrange 13, #1 Piedmont 3 Recap Box Score
Game 6- #2 Huntingdon 5, #4 Maryville 1 (Maryville Eliminated) Recap Box Score
Game 7- #1 Piedmont 3, #2 Huntingdon 1 (Huntingdon Eliminated) Recap Box Score
Monday, May 1
Game 8- #3 LaGrange 12, #1 Piedmont 11 Box Score
