By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Jack Laryisson’s two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the LaGrange College Panthers to a come-from-behind, 7-6 win over Pfeiffer in a USA South showdown on Friday night.

Pfeiffer led 6-0 after scoring three runs in the top of the third inning, but LaGrange College rallied.

The Panthers cut their deficit in half with three runs in the bottom of the third, and they added single runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings to tie it.

It was still deadlocked when the Panthers came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Cael Chatham got things started with a walk, and he moved to second on a wild pitch.

With one out, Joe Ruth was intentionally walked, and Chris West grounded out to put men on second and third for Layrisson.

Layrisson got a pitch he could handle, and he ripped it through the right side of the infield to bring Chatham in with the winning run.

LaGrange College (23-8 overall) improved to 14-4 in the USA South, while Pfeiffer (21-5 overall) fell to 12-4 in conference play.

They’ll play again on Saturday at noon., and the series concludes on Sunday at 2 p.m.

In Friday’s game, the Panthers got some outstanding relief work from Tanner Chafin and Gibson Bittner, who combined to throw 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bittner, who threw the final 2 2/3 innings, was the winning pitcher after allowing one hit and no runs.

Chafin, who entered the game after starter J.R. Robinson threw 4 ½ innings, pitched three scoreless innings.

Trey Pearce had a big game for the Panthers with three hits and three RBIs, and Chatham had two doubles and two walks from the leadoff position.

McKinley Erves had two hits, and it was his RBI triple that brought in Judd Moore with the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Joe Ruth had a hit and two walks, Moore had a base hit, and Layrisson had one hit, and it was a big one.