Baseball | 4/27/2013 10:26:00 PM

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist baseball team pounded out 34 combined hits in posting a pair of come-from-behind wins to sweep Wesley in a doubleheader at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Saturday evening. MU rallied from a 6-4 deficit to win game one, 11-8, then erased a 7-1 deficit to run away with a 19-11 win in game two.
 
The Monarchs wrap up the regular season with an overall record of 24-20 while Wesley falls to 20-17 on the year.
 
In game one, the Monarchs overcame four errors in the field by banging out 15 hits and taking advantage of a wild Wesley pitching staff and drawing six walks to rally from a 6-4 deficit in the sixth inning.
 
Wolverines entered the sixth down 4-0 before taking a short-lived lead. Matt Robles led off the inning and then stole second, taking third on the play on one of three MU errors in the inning. He came in to score on Cory Smith's RBI single to make it 4-1 with one out. Smith moved to second on a single and took third on another error before coming home on Corey Jefferson's double to make it a 4-2 game. The Monarchs' third error of the inning allowed Trevor Mears to score and make it 4-3 before Steve Perone and Morgan Rupp each added RBI base hits and Sam Farnell contributed a sacrifice fly to put Wesley up 6-4.
 
The Monarchs countered in the bottom of the frame with four runs of their own to take back the lead for good, 8-4. Alex Rodriguez singled with one out and moved to second on Chris Power's walk. Cody Molosky then walked to load the bases and Steven Kirby tied the game with a two-run single. Jeff Norwood came on to pitch for the Wolverines and after he got Brandon Thigpen to ground out for the second out, walked the next three batters that he faced to bring home two more runs and give MU an 8-6 lead before Lanners, in his second at bat of the inning, grounded out to end the inning.
 
The Monarchs tacked on insurance runs in the seventh (2) and the eighth (1), before Wesley added a pair of runs in the ninth to account for the final score.
 
Michael Inman picked up the win for the Monarchs, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts in 8.0 innings. Outside of the sixth inning he allowed just two hits, retiring 11 straight batters at one point. Rob Diamond, who started for Wesley, took the loss, allowing eight runs on 12 hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.
 
Stephen Nalls was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI for the Monarchs. Power was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, Kirby was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a two runs and Tyler Younger added two hits in four at bats with two RBIs and a run scored. In all, nine different Monarchs had at least one base hit and five players recorded multi-hit games.
 
Robles was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Smith was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI for the Wolverines.
 
In game two, the Monarchs erupted for season highs in runs (19), hits (19), RBIs (16) and doubles (6), while also drawing nine walks.
 
Wesley held a 7-1 lead after scoring three runs in the top of the sixth inning before the Monarchs sent 14 batters to the plate in scoring eight runs to take a 9-7 lead.
Brandon Thigpen led off the inning with a single and moved to third on Stephen Nalls' double. Younger singled home Thigpen to make it 7-2 and Ronnie Hatfield's sacrifice fly cut the Monarchs' deficit to four runs at 7-3. Ray Lanners and Alex Rodriguez came through with back-to-back singles to load the bases and Power added another sacrifice fly to make it 7-4. Molosky then reached on a bunt single to reload the bases and Kirby walked to make it 7-5.
 
Thigpen, in his second at bat of the inning, tied the game at 7-7 with a two-run single, and Nalls walked to once again load the bases. Younger followed with another walk and Hatfield was hit by a pitch as MU went on top 9-7 before a Lanners ended the inning.
 
Methodist kept the pressure on with seven more runs in the seventh inning, and Thigpen added his seventh home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth, as MU cruised to the eight-run win.
 
Michael Judge picked up the win on the hill for Methodist. He threw 2.1 innings in relief of starter Daniel Royer, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in 2.1 innings. Eric Willey started for the Wolverines and was saddled with the loss. He surrendered eight runs on 10 hits and three walks in 5.2 innings.
 
Thigpen finished 4-for-5, with a double, a home run, five runs scored and four runs driven in. Nalls was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored. Younger was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Kirby added two hits in five at bats with three runs scored and two RBIs.
 
For Wesley, Matt Domian was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Jon Carlson finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored and Morgan Rupp and Steve Perone each had a pair of base hits with two runs scored.
 
The Monarchs will now await word on their opponent and destination for the NCAA Tournament.