Softball | 4/17/2009 6:17:52 PM

BURLINGTON, N.C. - The Methodist softball team dropped their first USA South Conference Tournament game 6-5 to Peace before rallying for an 11-2 win over Mary Baldwin to escape elimination.

Peace's Ashley Stansbury (13-8) earned the win for the Pacers allowing 10 hits, three runs earned with one walk and one strikeout.  Jessica Pridgen (4-4) took the loss for the Monarchs allowing seven hits, two runs earned with two walks and 1 strikeout.

 Both teams remained scoreless until the Pacers opened with a three-run lead in the  bottom of three.  Catcher Melissa Williams advanced on a walk and her pinch runner  Allison Gilmore moved to second on a sacrifice form Morgan Weathington.  Second  baseman Amanda Beach doubled down the right field line to score Gilmore and move  Courtney Long, who singled on a bunt, to third.  After Stansbury reached on an outfield  error, the Monarchs closed out the inning.

 Methodist earned two hits over the next two innings but could not score.  Jody Eyler  doubled to left center in the fourth but was left on base.  Shortstop Sara Poling picked up  her second hit of the game in the top of five and Cortney Kerns singled to left.

 In the bottom of the frame, Peace completed another three-run inning on three hits and one Monarch error to push the lead to six.

The Monarch's catcher Darci Martin sparked a five-hit, five-run rally in the top of seven with a homerun to left.  Singles from Pridgen, pinch hitter Alex Bass, and Kerns loaded the bases, and Stansbury walked in the second run.  Kayla Talbert earned an RBI-single to right field.  Weathington and Beach allowed two more on two Pacer errors before Stansbury struck out Martin and center fielder Tiffany DeLeone completed the third out on a fly ball catch preserving the 6-5 win.

Methodist took control early in game two with five runs on two hits in the bottom of the first. The Monarchs kept their momentum in the second inning with Jody Eyler's two-RBI single to extend their lead to 7-0. In the third inning, Methodist scored four runs capped off by a bases loaded double from Kayla Talbert. The Fighting Squirrels scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth and then held the Monarchs scoreless in the bottom of the inning. Mary Baldwin added another run in the top of the fifth, but Methodist prevailed with the 11-2 win.

Talbert finished 3-for-3 with five RBI in the game while Eyler went 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Emily Beck pitched four innings to earn the win while Jennie Price finished the final inning in relief.

The fifth seeded Monarchs will take on No. 8 Averett Saturday morning at 10 am in another elimination game.

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