Softball | 3/15/2014 7:27:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist softball team picked up two conference wins with a pair of 8-0, five-inning, wins over Mary Baldwin on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the sweep, Methodist improved to 5-14 on the season and 2-6 in USA South play, while MBC slips to 0-12 on the year and 0-12 in conference play.
 
In the opening game, MU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, then poured on seven runs in the third inning for the run-rule victory.
 
In the third, Kelsey Harrington led off with a single and moved to second when Sarah Stapleton reached on a fielder's choice. A single by Heather Williams loaded the bases, and Natalie High made it a 3-0 game with a two-run single. Following a sacrifice bunt for the first out of the frame, Ally Griffin extended MU's lead to 4-0 with an RBI single, and Lindsay Tippett made it 5-0 with a run-scoring groundout.
 
Marcy McKee's RBI base hit made it 6-0, and after MU turned the lineup over, Stapleton capped the inning with a two-run single for an 8-0 lead.
 
Stapleton picked up the win in the circle, allowing just four hits and a walk with five strikeouts. McKee finished 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Stapleton and High each went 1-for-3, scored once and drove in two, while Griffin and Tippett were each 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
 
Janie Brothers took the loss for MBC. She allowed eight runs on nine hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in 4.0 innings.
 
In the nightcap, MU took a 7-0 lead after three innings, then tacked on the game-clinching run in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Griffin opened the scoring with an RBI single in the second for a 1-0 lead, and McKee quickly made it 4-0 when she drove in three runs with a bases-loaded double. High's RBI single with one out gave MU a 5-0 lead, and the Fighting Squirrels avoided further damage with an inning-ending double play.
 
In the third inning, Krista Zentner and Harrington each had RBI singles to make it 7-0. The Monarchs sealed the game in the fifth inning when Morgan Prince singled, moved to second on an error, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Williams' RBI single for the game's final run.
 
Brittany Miller picked up the win in the circle with 3.0 solid innings. She allowed just three hits without a walk and struck out one. Emily Hester and Jordan Pietrolaj each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
 
Williams, Tippett, and McKee all had a pair of base hits to lead the Monarchs. McKee finished with three RBI and Tippett and Zentner each scored twice.
 
For MBC, Kristen Anderson, Morgan Tully and Sarah Seekins were all 1-for-2 in the loss. Kayla Wheeler took the loss, surrendering eight runs (6 ER) on 14 hits and three walks in 4.1 innings.
 
Methodist is back in action on Friday when they host Covenant in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.