The Maryville College Scots handed the No. 2-ranked LaGrange Panthers only their fourth loss of the season Saturday afternoon, 4-3, on MC's historic Scotland Yard.
The Scots celebrated senior day on Saturday in a big way, as they relied on junior Johnny Carpenter and a strong pitching effort in defeating the nationally ranked squad.
Maryville (19-17, 9-8 USA South) saw Carpenter go 2-for-3 with a run and four RBI, as the right fielder accounted for each of the Scots' four runs.
The Orange and Garnet's pitching efforts shined as well, with Jeremy Haggerty moving to 2-0. He pitched 6.0 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out four.
Senior Joe Jones earned his sixth save of the year, going 3.0 innings. The standout gave up a trio of hits and only a single run, while striking out four, as well.
LaGrange College (30-4, 15-2) would strike first in the top of the third. Tavin Thompson tripled off the wall in center field, before an RBI groundout from Casey Bell would score the lead off hitter. The Panthers would take a 1-0 lead to the bottom of the third.
Senior Sam Jokerst game Maryville its first hit of the afternoon in the bottom of the third with a single to right. He was stranded on first, as the score remained 1-0, in favor of LaGrange.
Blane Swift would single handedly extend the Panthers' lead in the top of the fourth, however. He singled to left, before taking second on a balk. He stole third, before a wild pitch would score him for a 2-0 LaGrange advantage.
Maryville College plated their first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth. Bryce Redaja laced a ground-rule double down the left-field line, before moving to third on an Andrew Henry sacrifice bunt. Carpenter would score the left fielder from third with an RBI single up the middle. Going to the fifth, MC cut LaGrange's lead to one, 2-1.
Drew Johnson took a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth, before Maryville earned its first lead of the series. Carpenter laced a two-run homer over the left-field fence, scoring Johnson, for a 3-2 MC lead.
Maryville loaded the bags following a Redaja bunt single to third. Henry walked, before Johnson was pegged to put runners on. Carpenter collected his fourth RBI of the game – accounting for each of MC's runs – as the pitch tinked off his helmet. Going to the eighth, the Scots led 4-2.
Thompson had a lead off double in the top of the eighth for the Panthers. A line out and a strike out looked to leave him stranded, but a two-out RBI single from Billy Peatross plated Thompson. Going to the ninth, Maryville held its lead at 4-3.
Maryville went three-up, three-down in the top of the ninth, as Joe Jones struck out the final batter of the game for the 4-3 upset.
The Scots saw Redaja follow Carpenter's stellar effort with a 2-for-4 afternoon, while scoring a pair of runs. Jokerst was 2-for-3, while Eric Hart went 1-for-1 in MC's seven-hit afternoon.
LaGrange was led by Thompson's 2-for-4 day, as the shortstop scored a pair of runs. Bell and Peatross went 1-for-4, each with an RBI. Swift was 1-for-4 with a run scored for the Panthers, as they tallied eight hits.
The rubber match of the USA South series is slated to follow game on to conclude Saturday's double header.