Baseball | 2/5/2011 10:15:40 PM

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Methodist University baseball team had a delayed, but successful season opener on Saturday with a 9-1 win over Huntingdon College.

The Hawks tallied the first run of the game with a lead-off single before eventually scoring on a wild pitch, but Methodist rallied with nine runs in the final four innings. The Monarchs got on the board in the sixth inning after a lead-off walk by Trey Such. Brandon Thigpen singled up the middle and both runners advanced on a groundout. Chris Perry drew the walk to load the bases and Dustin Brown earned his first collegiate hit for two RBI and the Methodist lead.

The Monarchs added two insurance runs in the seventh after capitalizing on two walks and an error before rattling off five runs in the ninth. Thigpen and Tyler Younger picked up hits in the rally while Matt Quick and Dustin Brown added RBI. Huntingdon earned two hits in the bottom of the ninth, but Such caught Huntingdon's Caleb Astin stealing and pitcher Jaron Cayton finished the game with a strikeout to seal the 9-1 win.

Thigpen finished 4-for-4 at the plate while Quick went 2-for-4 and Brown added three RBI.

Tre' Britt earned the win on the mound scattering six hits in seven innings pitched with four strikeouts. Rusty White and Cayton finished the game in relief.

The Monarchs and Hawks will be back at it on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.

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