Baseball | 3/10/2012 4:00:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist baseball team stepped up to the challenge on Saturday earning a 3-0 shut out over third ranked Christopher Newport University.

Methodist (13-8, 1-2) pitcher Chris Perry shut down the first three Captains in the top of the first and the Monarchs rewarded him in the bottom of the inning with two runs. Matt Quick battled back to earn the lead-off walk and Cody Molosky laid down the bunt single before advancing to second on an error. Trey Such singled to left to score Quick and Molosky moved to third. Brandon Thigpen followed up with a sacrifice fly to put the Monarchs ahead 2-0.

CNU (12-3, 2-1) loaded the bases in the fifth on a walk and two hits, but Perry forced the next batter to fly out to get out of the inning. The Captains had two runners on in the eighth, but Perry notched his 12th strikeout of the game to hold the Captains scoreless.

Methodist's David Lutz led off the bottom of the eighth with a single up the middle and Matt Quick sacrificed him to second. Such drew the walk and Thigpen singled back up the middle to score Lutz and add an insurance run.

Perry came back out in the ninth inning to finish what he started and got two quick outs. He had full count on the third batter before giving up a walk, but Methodist shortstop Steven Kirby made a diving catch on a pop up to shallow left to secure the final out.

Quick finished 1-for-2 at the plate. Thigpen was 1-for-3 with two RBI and Such was 1-for-3 with a RBI.

Perry (3-0) pitched the complete game shutout giving up just four hits while earning 13 strikeouts.

Bryan Bierlein (2-2) scattered seven hits with four strikeouts for CNU in eight innings of work.

The two teams will be back for the second game in the weekend series on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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