Baseball | 3/25/2012 9:12:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Methodist earned a 3-2 come from behind win over Shenandoah University in game one to help head coach Tom Austin earn his 1,000th career win on Sunday. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Hornets won 13-2.

Austin became the seventh NCAA Division III coach to reach the 1,000 wins milestone and one of just five active coaches. A total of 50 coaches at any level of college baseball have won 1,000 games dating back to the sport's 1859 inception.

"I've had the opportunity to work for three great presidents," Austin said.  "I've had a lot of good players who have played hard for us and won these games. I haven't won them. I appreciate all of the players from 1980 on because they've all contributed tremendously to this. I especially appreciate this team because they're the ones who had to deal with the pressure this season."

The Monarchs kept it interesting as Shenandoah took the early 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI double. Methodist came back to take the lead with two unearned runs in the third on a RBI single from Brandon Thigpen. Shenandoah tied the game in the fifth inning stringing together four hits, but Methodist pitcher Chris Perry struck out two batters with bases loaded to hold the tie.

Neither team scored through the next four innings leaving Methodist with an opportunity to win it in the bottom of the ninth. Matt Jack sparked the rally with a single to right and Josh Tulledge entered to pinch run. Dustin Brown drew the walk and Steven Kirby put a ball in play for the Monarchs to capitalize on an error and Tulledge scored the game-winning from second.

Tyler Younger went 2-for-4 while Cody Molosky and Jack were 1-for-2.

Perry threw eight innings with nine strikeouts and nine hits. Rusty White finished in the ninth to earn the win.

Shenandoah jumped on top early in game two with three runs on three hits while capitalizing on a defensive error. The Hornets added two in the fourth before the game was delayed for nearly two hours during a thunderstorm. Play resumed and Shenandoah added a run in the fifth inning to lead 6-0.

The Methodist offense got going in the seventh when Matt Quick had a lead-off single to left and Brian Armstrong tripled to the gap in right center. Trey Such hit a deep fly ball to the fence in center field for a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to four. The Hornets responded with four runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to earn the 13-2 win.

The Monarchs had four hits in the game from Quick, Armstrong, Thigpen and Younger.

Rett Lee went 3.2 innings on the mound scattering five hits for one earned run and two strikeouts. Andrew Womble, Josh Ayers, Michael Judge and Josh Clarke finished in relief.

Methodist will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Guilford College. The Monarchs will return home to host Ferrum College next weekend in a Saturday-Sunday series. The athletic department will host a special ceremony in recognition of Austin's 1,000 wins before the game Saturday, Mar. 31.

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