Baseball | 3/15/2013 10:12:00 PM

Box Score MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Huntingdon erupted for eight runs in the third inning en route to a 16-3 win over the Methodist baseball team on Friday evening.
 
The Hawks eight runs broke a 2-2 tie in the third and helped Huntingdon improve to 13-5 on the season , while the Monarchs slipped to 8-14.
 
The Monarchs had taken a 2-1 lead in the top of the second as Chris Power singled to lead off the frame and Tyler Younger drove him in with a triple to tie the game. After Stephen Nalls grounded out for the first out of the inning, Alex Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Younger to come home and give MU an short-live 2-1 lead.
 
Huntingdon tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning when Jordan Freeman singled home Austin White. After MU went scoreless in the third inning, Huntingdon erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the inning to take a commanding 8-2 lead.
 
The Hawks loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles to lead off the inning. Tyler Blackwell followed with HC's fourth single of the inning to score a run and make it a 3-2 game. Evan Agnew then chased Aaron O'Neill from the game with another base hit that brought in a run to make it 4-2.
 
Monarch relief pitcher Josh Ayers was greeted by a two-run single by Freeman and Seth Currie followed by drawing a walk that loaded the bases once again. Grant Brown walked to force in another run. After Ayers struck out Caleb Astin for the first out, Joseph Odom reached on a fielder's choice that drove in another run on an MU fielding error. Blackwell drove in the final run of the inning when he single to third before Austin White grounded out to end the inning.
 
Methodist got one run back in the fourth on Will Sutton's sacrifice fly that scored Younger to make it 8-3, but Huntingdon struck for six more runs in the sixth, including a grand slam off the bat of Blackwell, as its cruised to the win.
 
O'Neill took the loss, allowing eight runs on eight hits and two walks in 2.0 innings. Reid Berry and David Lutz combined to finish the game with 2.1 innings of scoreless relief. Craig Brown started for the Hawks and picked up the win. He allowed three runs on eight hits with one strikeout in 6.0 innings.
 
Younger finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Monarchs. Nalls added two hits in four at bats and Brandon Thigpen was 1-for-3 with a stolen base.
 
Blackwell finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs and two runs scored to pace Huntingdon. Joseph Odom was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, and three runs scored and Astin finished 2-for-5 with two runs.
 
The two teams will square off once again on Saturday beginning at 2:00 pm.