Baseball | 4/12/2013 8:51:00 PM

Box Score ZEBULON, N.C. -- Brandon Thigpen's leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the sixth-seeded Methodist baseball team a walk-off, win over No. 7 Maryville, 2-1, on Friday afternoon on the second day of the USA South Baseball Tournament.
 
Thigpen's game-winning homer, his second big fly in as many games, supplemented a tremendous performance from Monarch starter Michael Inman. Inman went the distance for his third win of the season, allowing just one unearned run on six hits and a walk with one strikeout in 9.0 innings.
 
The Scots had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Nick Dean drew a two-out walk and moved to second on a passed ball. Landon Tallye followed with an RBI single that plated Dean. The Monarchs came back and tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning as Tyler Younger led off the frame with a double before being sacrificed to third by Travis Johnson. Stephen Nalls followed with another bunt and Younger beat the throw to the plate to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Inman worked out of a slight jam in the seventh inning. After a leadoff double by Zach Blonder, Inman got Matt Jones out on strikes and Blonder was retired at third on a fielder's choice for the second out. Inman then plunked Jesse Crisp with two outs, but got Garrett Grisham to fly out to right to strand a pair of base runners and set up Thigpen's heroics.
 
Trevor Brackett was a tough-luck loser for the Scots. He allowed just two runs on only four hits, while walking two and striking out three in 8.0 innings.
 
Thigpen finished 1-for-4 at the plate for Methodist, and Ronnie Hatfield and Travis Johnson were both 1-for-3, with Younger scoring a run.
 
For Maryville, Talley was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Dean finished 1-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
 
The Monarchs remain in the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will now face fifth-seeded Piedmont, which upset top-seed CNU 6-1, on Saturday at 12:00 pm at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, N.C.