Baseball | 4/11/2013 10:54:00 PM

Box Score WILSON, N.C. -- Cody Molosky's sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning broke a 2-2 tie and propelled sixth-seeded Methodist to a 3-2 win over No. 3 Averett on the opening day of the USA South Baseball tournament on Thursday evening.
 
Tied 2-2 entering the seventh, Alex Rodriguez led off with a single through the right side of the infield and then advanced to third base on a failed pickoff attempt by the Cougars. Molosky then hit an 0-2 pitch to left field that allowed Rodriguez to come home with the game-winning run.
 
Molosky's RBI made a winner of Josh Ayers, who worked 4.2 innings in relief of starter Brandon Thigpen. Ayers did not allow a hit, while walking one and striking out five. Thigpen surrendered two runs (1 ER) on six hit and five walks with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
 
The Cougars (24-15) had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jordan Kidd doubled with one out to drive in Chatham Currie, who had singled with one out in the inning. MU (18-18) came back with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, including a solo home run by Thigpen, to take a 2-1 lead. Averett tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Kidd scored on a Monarch throwing error.
 
Cody Moore went the distance on the mound for Averett. He gave up three runs (1 ER) on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts in 9.0 innings.
 
Rodriguez finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of runs scored to lead the Monarchs. Thigpen added two hits in four at bats with an RBI and a run, while Chris Power added a 2-for-4 showing as well, as MU had only three players collect base hits in the game.
 
Currie and Andrew Kirks had two base hits apiece for the Cougars. Kidd finished 1-for-4 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base in the loss.
 
The Monarchs remain in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will take on seventh-seeded Maryville, a 12-0 winner over N.C. Wesleyan, on Friday afternoon at 1:00 pm at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C.