Baseball | 3/21/2012 7:40:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist baseball team fell in a hole early and could not get out as Tufts took the 14-1 win over the Monarchs.

The Jumbos (4-1) put together three hits in the first inning to score two runs and take the early lead. Methodist's Matt Quick drew the lead off walk in the bottom of the first, but after being sacrificed to second, he was left stranded. Tufts used a three-run home run in the second to help go ahead 6-0 before they tacked on two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Errors proved costly for the Monarchs as the Jumbos scored a run in the seventh and three in the eighth for the 14-0 advantage.

Methodist got on the board in the bottom of the ninth after Dustin Brown and Nick Spell drew walks. David Lutz reached on an error and Cody Handshaw picked up a RBI on the bases loaded walk.

The Monarchs (14-13) had four hits in the game from Trey Such, Tyler Younger, Steven Kirby and Cody Molosky. Younger finished 1-for-2 at the plate.

Josh Clarke started on the mound and threw 1.2 innings with five hits and two strikeouts. Dylan Moore, Michael Inman, Reid Berry, Ross Leggett and Chris Barger threw in relief.

Methodist will be back in action on Saturday when they host nationally ranked Shenandoah University at 1 p.m.

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