Softball | 2/27/2009 10:21:45 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Methodist University avoided any cancellations and played the Early Bird Tournament in its entirety Friday with a win over Hood and three losses by just one a run a piece.

In the first game of the day for the Monarchs, York took the early 1-0 lead on a triple and double in the bottom of the first inning. Methodist loaded the bases in the top of the second but could not get a run across while the Spartans added a run in the second. Methodist came back and took the 3-2 lead in the fifth  on a two-RBI single from freshman Kenzie Maloney. Methodist held the lead going into the bottom of the seventh when Sam Lawrence led off with a single and stole second before moving to third on a passed ball. Lawrence scored on a single through the left side to win the game 4-3 for York.  Emily Beck pitched the complete game for the Monarchs scattering 10 hits with three strikeouts.

Methodist took on Roanoke in their second game and were held to just three hits.  Two Monarchs were stranded on second and third in the first inning but it was the Maroons who scored first in the third inning on a walk and two singles to lead 1-0. Methodist sophomore Jody Eyler led off with a single in the fifth and pinch runner Courtney Blann advanced to third but could not get the tying run across the plate. The Monarchs left another runner stranded in the sixth before falling 1-0 to Roanoke. Lesley Hewitt went the distance in the circle for Methodist giving up six hits with nine strikeouts.

The Methodist offense got going against Hood as they won 11-2 in five innings. The Monarchs scored a run in the first and second innings before the Blazers got a run across in the bottom of the third, cutting the Methodist lead to 2-1. The Monarchs came back and rung up eight runs in the top of the fourth on just three hits. Freshman Jessica Pridgen had a two-RBI single to center to keep the rally going late in the inning. Methodist added a run in the top of the fifth on a RBI-single from Megan Ondrey before Hood scored their second run in the bottom of the inning. The Monarchs finished with the 11-2 win. Freshman Alex Bass earned the win in four innings pitched giving up two hits with five strikeouts. Sophomore Jennie Price came on in relief.

Methodist sought revenge on York in their final game of the day but fell behind 1-0 in the first inning on an unearned run. The Spartans increased their lead in the third inning on a two-run homerun from pitcher Sam Koehl. The Monarchs rallied in the sixth when Cortney Kerns and Crystal Metzger led off with singles. Maggie Gaines reached on an error to score Kerns for the Monarchs' first run of the game. Kayla Talbert singled through the right side to score Metzger and cut the lead to 3-2. Methodist loaded the bases again but York got out of the jam to move to the seventh inning. The Spartans added a run in the seventh scoring on a wild pitch to move ahead 4-2 but the Monarchs were not finished yet. Caline Daun led off with bottom of the seventh with a double to the gap in left center and Tabatha Stephenson followed up with a double to left to score Daun. Kerns laid down the sacrifice to move Stephenson to third for the tying run, but after a walk from Metzger, York got the next two outs to preserve their 4-3 win. Hewitt pitched five innings with four hits and two strikeouts while Bass finished up with two innings of relief.

Metzger led the team hitting 6-for-11 on the day while Maloney had four RBI.

The Monarchs will travel to Kissimmee, Fla. this week to participate in the Rebel Games Mar. 2-6.

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