Baseball | 3/20/2011 4:06:16 PM
WINCHESTER, Va. - The Methodist Monarchs erased a five-run deficit in the ninth inning, but Shenandoah rallied for the third time in a week to earn the 6-5 win.
Shenandoah scored the first run of the game in the third inning after a lead-off single from Clint DeHaven. The Hornets tacked on three runs in the sixth inning after capitalizing on five walks and an error before taking the 5-0 lead in the eighth.
Methodist put together a huge rally in the ninth inning starting with the top of the order.
Tripp Lancaster and
Sergio Davis led off with singles and
Trey Such loaded the bases with a walk.
Brandon Thigpen came through with a two-RBI single to score Lancaster and Davis and cut the lead to three.
Brian Inghram loaded the bases again with a single. Shenandoah picked up a strikeout before
Dustin Brown reached on a fielder's choice. Such was out at home, but the catcher's attempt to get Brown on the double play hit Brown and rolled away for Thigpen to score.
Corey Sykes entered to run for Brown and with runners on first and third,
Tyler Younger singled to right field and both runners scored on an error to tie the game at five. Shenandoah got out of the inning with a strikeout and set themselves up for a final chance to break the tie in the bottom of the ninth.
The Hornets' Greg VanSickler led off with a double and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. The Monarchs intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases and set up the force. The next batter reached on a fielder's choice where Inghram made the play at home, but DeHaven came up with his third hit of the game with a single through the right side to score the game-winning run.
The Monarchs came up just short in their rally to upend nationally ranked Shenandoah. Davis and Inghram finished 2-for-4 at the plate.
Andrew Womble went 5.1 innings on the mound scattering five hits for four runs.
Michael Judge,
Josh Ayers and
Rusty White finished in relief with White taking the loss in the ninth.
Methodist will be back in action on Wednesday when they host Tufts at 4 p.m.
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