Baseball | 2/16/2014 8:20:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Methodist baseball team won against Christopher Newport, 7-6, on Steven Kirby's walk-off single on Sunday afternoon at Armstrong Shelley Field.
 
With Josh Ayers on the mound for his second inning of work, the Monarchs (3-1) began the top of the ninth looking to nail down a 6-3 victory.
 
The Captains' Preston Grissom led off the frame with a single, and after pinch hitter Bryant Lowry struck out Tommy Vitaletti hit a single to center field. With runners now on first and second and one man down, Travis Younger singled to right field to load the bases.
 
Billy Steel narrowed Christopher Newport's (1-3) to two runs, 6-4, with a run-scoring single to left that plated Grissom. Justin Weaver batted next and promptly knotted the game up, 6-6, on two-run single near the left field foul line that scored Vitaletti and Younger.
 
After Ayers stranded two baserunners via a strikeout and popout, Methodist came to bat in the bottom half of the ninth. Back-to-back base hits by Chris Power and Stephen Nalls, respectively, gave the Monarchs runners on first and second with no outs. Josh Howard came to the plate and fouled out to the catcher on a bunt attempt.
 
Following this out, Christopher Newport elected to replace reliever Austin Kilbourne with Justin Garber on the mound. Following a passed ball that allowed Power and Nalls to each advance a base, Matt Jack walked to load the bases. With the bases full and both corner infielders playing in a few steps closer to home plate, Kirby singled cleanly through the left side to bring home Power with the winning score for Methodist.
 
Nalls had two base hits for Methodist, and Jack also picked up a pair of singles in addition to scoring twice.
 
Howard earned the start for the Monarchs on the mound and threw seven innings. He allowed seven hits, three runs, three walks and struck out four. Ayers (1-0) earned the win after blowing the save opportunity. He pitched two frames and gave up five hits, three runs and one walk.
 
Vitaletti totaled three hits and two runs for Christopher Newport, and Steel had three hits and drove in three. Younger recorded a pair of hits and scored twice.
 
Kilbourne (1-1) was saddled with the loss after throwing 1.1 innings of relief. He allowed three hits, three runs and one base on balls.
 
The Monarchs will play their first road game of the season when they match up against Hampden-Sydney in Hampden Sydney, Va., on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3:00 pm.