Softball | 2/25/2012 10:19:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist softball team started the day with a 4-3 loss to York, but bounced back for three straight wins to wrap up the Early Bird Softball Tournament.

The Monarchs trailed 4-3 to York when the game was stopped Friday due to lightning and heavy rain. The Monarchs had runners on first and second, but the Spartans got out of the jam and held Methodist scoreless to secure the 4-3 win. [Box Score]

Methodist came right back to battle Stevenson. Krista Zentner started things off with a RBI single to score Sarah Stapleton and Katie Byrd doubled in the third to score Jordan Adams and give the Monarchs the 2-0 advantage. Methodist added four runs in the fifth with five hits including a homerun for Byrd to cap things off. Stevenson prevented a shutout with an unearned run in the sixth, but the Monarchs won 6-1.

Byrd and Stapleton both went 2-for-4 in the game. Jessica Farmer threw 5.2 innings for the win while Ashley Shingleton finished in relief. [Box Score]

In the Monarchs' third game, Piedmont took the quick 2-0 lead, but Methodist came right back with two runs in the bottom of the first capitalizing on hits from Stapleton and Ally Griffin to go along with two defensive errors by the Lions. The score was tied through four innings before Piedmont tallied an unearned run in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Methodist bats got hot and the first four batters singled. Krista Zentner picked up a RBI, Byrd scored on a wild pitch and Lindsay Tippett drove in two runs with a single to right field. The Monarchs added an insurance run in the sixth after Stapleton led off with a triple and scored on Adam's grounder to shortstop to win 7-3.

Stapleton was 3-for-3 in the game while Zentner went 2-for-2 as the Monarchs rattled off 11 hits. Kayla Malone pitched the complete game to earn the win with three strikeouts. [Box Score]

Methodist put their final stamp on the day with a 10-0 shutout against Emory & Henry College. After just one hit through the first two innings, the Monarchs put two together in the third to go along with a Wasp error to go ahead 2-0. The floodgates opened in the fourth when Methodist scored eight runs on seven hits. Tippett set the tone with a double and the Monarchs kept it coming as they went on to take the 10-0 win.

Tippett and Erica Bradley finished 2-for-2 while Rachel Chapman and Stapleton were 2-for-3. Farmer pitched the complete game shutout with six strikeouts for Methodist. [Box Score]

Methodist stands at 3-1 and will host Roanoke College for a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m.