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The LaGrange baseball team opened the season with a dominant 11-1 win over Shaw at The Branch on Friday evening.

The Grangers took no time to take the lead after three up and three down in the top of the first inning. LaGrange would take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first courtesy of Grady Westmorland reaching home on a passed ball. 

After another sterling top of the inning from starting pitcher Kayden Sutton, the Grangers extended their lead to 4-0 with a trio of runs in the bottom of the second.

The night belonged to Sutton, who had a perfect game though four innings, striking out nine of the 12 batters he faced. Coaching decisions were made and Sutton was pulled between innings.

Not content with dominating on the mound, Sutton laced a two-run single to center field, breaking the game open in the process. Westmoreland would hit a single later in the inning to bring home the fourth run of the game for the home team.

The Grangers kept plugging away and tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Westmoreland got the party started with a one-run double. Two batters later, Mason Calhoun hit a one-run double of his own.

LaGrange was not done there, adding three runs in the fifth inning. Laken Tippy, Westmoreland and Rob Skinner hit back-to-back-to-back one-run singles to extend the Grangers’ lead to 9-0.

The Raiders finally broke up LaGrange’s no-hit bid in the top of the sixth inning but barely made a dent in the deficit with just one run.  

The Grangers would get that run back and one more to end the game in the bottom of the sixth by mercy rule. Nolan Haines’ two-run double would be the clincher.

Jase Foster and Cason McGill came in to relieve Sutton, pitching an inning apiece.

Westmoreland dominated from the plate in his final opening-day game for the Grangers. The senior went a cool 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the way for the LaGrange offense.

Skinner finished the game with two hits while Calhoun, Sutton, Tippy, Haines, Cooper Stephens, Brandon Bennett and Sinjon Lash all had a hit apiece for the home team. 

LaGrange starts the season 1-0. The Grangers will be right back at The Branch on Saturday for a doubleheader against Prince Avenue Christian with the opening pitch set for 1 p.m.