Baseball | 3/3/2013 4:14:00 PM

Box Score NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Methodist baseball team lost a 10-2 decision at No. 5 Christopher Newport on Sunday afternoon.
 
The fifth-ranked Captains (14-2-1, 11-1 USA South) blew the game open with seven runs in the third inning and kept Methodist (7-9, 4-8 USA South) off the scoreboard until the sixth inning in completing a three-game sweep.
 
After taking a 2-0 lead in the second inning, CNU took advantage of some shaky pitching on the part of the Monarchs to record its seven runs on just four hits in the inning. Three hit batsmen, a walk and a passed ball helped CNU send 11 batters to the plate as the Captains took a 9-0 lead. CNU made it 10-0 in the fifth inning on a RBI single by Christopher McDougal.
 
In the sixth inning, the Monarchs got a pair of runs back on Travis Johnson's RBI double and Brandon Thigpen's RBI single, both coming with two outs in the inning.
 
CNU's Bryan Bierlein held Methodist in check for most of the game. He allowed two runs on five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in 8.0 innings. He allowed just two baserunners until MU broke through with its two runs in the sixth inning.
 
Daniel Royer (1-2), one of seven MU pitchers on the day, started and took the loss. He allowed five runs (4 ER) on six hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2.0 innings. Michael Judge, Chris Barger, Josh Clarke and Johnson all threw one scoreless inning of relief.
 
Thigpen and Cody Molosky were both 1-for-3 with a stolen base for Methodist. Johnson finished 1-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Will Buschmann was 1-for-2 on the day.
 
McDougal led the Captains, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs and a runs scored.
 
Methodist next plays on Tuesday when it plays at Randolph-Macon at 2:30 pm.