LaGrange bounces Northside baseball from playoffs

Northside baseball travelled to LaGrange on Wednesday with the tough assignment of topping a former region foe. At the day's end, the Patriots headed home with their season all wrapped up.

Northside dropped Game 1 to the Grangers 5-3 then couldn't come through in Game 2, dropping the second matchup 5-2. As a result, the Patriots (18-15) were eliminated from the playoffs.

Northside began the doubleheader in a big way. After a walk and a single started the first game, pitcher Waggener Davidson came through with an RBI single to center field. Soon after, Chantler Valero scored on a dropped third strike that would have ended the inning. Instead, the Patriots led 2-0.

As promising as the opening outburst was, the Patriots couldn't keep it going in Game 1. LaGrange (22-12) cut the lead to one in the second inning before taking the lead with two runs in the third. The second run was a regrettable one for Northside, as miscommunication on a two-out fly ball allowed it to drop.

An additional run in the fourth proved more than enough for the home Grangers. Northside mustered up on more run when Hunter Poe scored on a wild pitch in the sixth, but that was the last of the Patriots' runs.

Northside had a chance in the seventh inning once Dalton Bradford got to second and Tray Richburg reached first with one out. However, a strikeout and a groundout finished off the Patriots' final threat.

Davidson started Game 1 for Northside and put in five innings of work. In that time, he gave up eight hits and two earned runs.

A lead-off triple set the tone for both team's in Game 2. The Grangers put up two runs in the opening half-inning, forcing Northside to play catch-up from the start.

The Patriots cut into the deficit in the second. Dalton Bradford delivered a sacrifice fly to deep center field, scoring pinch runner Caleb Johnson. Mack Williams kept it rolling for the Patriots, slugging a loud RBI double to the outfield to tie the game 2-2.

LaGrange didn't allow Northside to keep pace for long. The Grangers regained the lead in the third on an RBI groundout. From there, LaGrange tacked on two additional runs to secure the series-deciding victory.

Northside’s offense, meanwhile, could not find a necessary answer at the plate.

Northside’s ouster from the playoffs came on the same day region rival Columbus forced a third game of its second round series. The Blue Devils lost Game 1 to Blessed Trinity 8-1 before answering with a 2-1 victory in the win-or-go-home second game.

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 9:29 PM with the headline "LaGrange bounces Northside baseball from playoffs."