Softball | 2/21/2013 8:05:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Ally Griffin doubled twice and drove in a pair of runs as the Methodist softball team opened 2013 with a 2-1 win over Case Western Reserve on Thursday evening at Monarch Field.
 
Jessica Farmer supplemented Griffin's day at the plate by tossing a complete game. She allowed five hits, all singles, without walking a batter and striking out one. The only run that she gave up was an unearned run in the fifth inning.
 
MU, playing as the visiting team on its home field, opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Katie Byrd walked with one out and moved up to third on Lindsay Tippett's single to right. With two outs, Griffin came to bat and laced a double to left that scored both runs for an early 2-0 lead.
 
Neither team mounted much offense until the fifth inning when CWRU put its first two runners on via singles. A fielder's choice and a fielding error allowed the Spartans to load the bases with nobody out. Farmer then induced a lineout and struck out Molly O'Brien before Rachel Komar hit an RBI single to make it 2-1. Amy Taylor was thrown out at third on the play to end the threat.
 
Farmer did not allow a baserunner in either of the last two innings as MU held on for the win.
 
Byrd and Tippett were both 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Monarchs. Krista Zentner added one hit in three at-bats.
 
Komar was 2-for-3 with a the lone Spartan RBI and Rebecca Taylor and Amy Taylor were both 1-for-3 at the plate. Rebecca Taylor took the loss, allowing two runs on five hits and a pair of walks with 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
 
The Monarchs return to action on Saturday when they host the Methodist Early Bird Invitational with games slated to begin at 1:00 pm at Lamon Street Park.