Baseball | 2/8/2013 10:19:00 PM

Box Score LAGRANGE, Ga. -- The Methodist baseball team dropped a 4-2 decision at LaGrange in the USA South opener for both teams on Friday night.
 
The Monarchs (2-1, 0-1 USA South) fell behind 4-0 in the early going before a late rally fell short. The Panthers moved to 1-1 on the season and 1-0 in league play.
 
James Hall got LaGrange started in the second inning when he doubled home Josh Shiver. Brandon Key came around to score an unearned run on the play for an early 2-0 lead. Hall struck again in the third inning when he hit a two-run single that scored both Shiver and Cody Muren to make it 4-0 in favor of the home team.
 
Methodist, which had gone down in order in four of the first six innings, found its stride in the seventh inning as Chris Power led off with a single and Ray Lanners followed with a double to put runners on the corners with nobody out. Will Sutton made it a 4-1 game with an RBI groundout to second that scored Powers and moved Lanners up to third.
 
Stephen Nalls then hit a double to right, scoring Lanners, that pulled the Monarchs to within 4-2 with just one out. However, LC starter Doug Scherer induced back-to-back groundouts to end the Monarch rally.
 
Tyler Brooks came on for the Panthers in the eighth and nailed down a save, with two scoreless innings of relief. He did not give up a hit and struck out three. Scherer picked up the win, allowing the two runs on six hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. MU's Josh Ayers was tagged with the loss, surrendering four runs (3 ER) on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts. Michael Judge came on in relief and posted his second strong stint out of the bullpen. He tossed 3.0 innings of hitless relief, walking two and striking out one.
 
Power led the Monarchs with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate. He double and scored once. Lanners finished 1-for-4 with a run and Steven Kirby, Travis Johnson and Nalls were all 1-for-4.
 
Hall ended up 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Panthers. Shiver was 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs, and Muren added one hit in four at-bats with a walk and a run.
 
The two teams will square off in the second game of the their three-game series tomorrow beginning at 2:00 pm.