Baseball | 2/12/2011 8:46:01 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist baseball team battled with Lynchburg College and Berry College on Saturday before drawing a split, winning the first 5-4 before falling 5-2 in the nightcap.

Lynchburg capitalized on a two-RBI single in the third to take the 2-0 lead, but Methodist responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Matt Quick drew the lead-off walk and after a sacrifice from Dustin Brown, Sergio Davis, Tripp Lancaster, Shawn Lovette and Trey Such had four consecutive hits. The Monarchs took advantage of two defensive errors and Davis scored the third run to give Methodist the 3-2 lead.

The Hornets tied the game in the fifth inning with a two-out rally, but Methodist regained the lead in the sixth. Quick and Brown put together singles before Davis hit a RBI single through the right side for the 4-3 advantage. A hit by pitch and walk combined with an error in the top of the seventh helped Lynchburg tie the game at four, but Methodist battled back.

Shawn Lovette led off with a single to center and Trey Such drew the walk. Both players advanced when Brian Inghram reached on an error and Lovette scored the game winning run on a RBI groundout by Brandon Thigpen.

Tripp Lancaster led the team at the plate hitting 4-for-5 with a RBI. Shawn Lovette went 3-for-5 and Dustin Brown went 2-for-3.

Tre' Britt pitched six innings scattering six hits with three strikeouts while Brett Bially and Rusty White finished in relief. White picked up the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

Box Score

In the second game, Berry jumped out to the early 2-0 lead in the second inning. The Monarchs cut the lead to one in the fifth inning when Davis sparked a two-out rally. The freshman singled to right before Lancaster singled up the middle and Lovette's single scored Davis.

Methodist kept battling and in the seventh inning Lancaster hit a triple to the right field corner and Lovette scored Lancaster for the game-tying run. Unfortunately, Berry came out in the eighth and rattled off three runs on six hits to regain the lead.

The Monarchs left two runners stranded in the eighth, but looked like they could rally in the ninth after Lancaster's lead-off single, but the Vikings denied the comeback finishing with the 5-2 win.

Lancaster went 3-for-5 in the second game while Lovette finished 1-for-5 with two RBI.

Andrew Womble pitched five innings giving up five hits. Josh Ayers went 2.2 innings while Rett Lee finished the final 1.1 innings of relief.

The Monarchs will be back in action tomorrow in a rematch with Berry at 2 p.m.

Box Score