Hawks bounce back with shutout at LaGrange

LAGRANGE, Ga.  – Senior Carden Mellown pitched a complete-game, two-hit shutout and the Huntingdon baseball team knocked off LaGrange College 4-0 on Saturday in the first game of a three-game USA South series.

The win snapped an eight-game winning streak for LaGrange and the shutout snapped an 82-game scoring streak for the three-time defending conference tournament champions.

The two teams will close out their conference series with a doubleheader on Sunday. Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. (Central).

Mellown (4-1) and the Huntingdon defense set the tone for the game. Mellown didn't overpower with strikeouts, finishing with just three, but he and the Hawks only allowed five Panthers to reach base in nine innings. Mellown allowed two hits and issued two walks.

Of the 30 batters LaGrange sent to the plate, pitching and defense helped force 10 fly outs and 13 ground outs.

Huntingdon took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a double by Andrew Knight that scored Danny Coleman Jr. The Hawks added three more runs in the eighth inning. A two-run single by Chris Fisher drove in Coleman and Knight before Colton Clark was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Bradley Harris.

Coleman, Knight, Fisher and Wes Powell combined for nine of Huntingdon's 11 hits. Coleman was 3-for-5 with two doubles, Fisher and Knight were both 2-for-4 and Powell was 2-for-5.

Records: Huntingdon (8-4, 4-3 USA South); LaGrange (9-5, 3-1 USA South)

Coming Up: Huntingdon will play a doubleheader at LaGrange on Sunday. Game 1 is set for 1 p.m. (Central).