Baseball | 3/16/2014 1:50:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist baseball team completed a three-game series sweep of visiting Maryville as it claimed a 6-3 win on a rainy Sunday morning at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
 
Playing four hours earlier than originally scheduled, the Monarchs (13-4, 7-2 USA South) found themselves trailing by a 3-1 margin when they came to bat in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Scots (8-7, 3-6 USA South) took advantage of two balks against Methodist starting pitcher Darin Salter in the top of the first. Nick Dean started the scoring with an RBI single, and Landon Talley plated another run with a run-scoring double to make it 2-0. John McDermott added an RBI single to give Maryville a 3-0 edge with only half an inning complete.
 
Methodist scored its first run in the third courtesy of Chris Power's RBI triple to right field.
 
In the team's turn to hit in the fourth, Methodist's Cody Molosky had a one-out single to center, and proceeded to steal second base as Steven Kirby batted. Kirby would later reach base on a walk to put runners on first and second.
 
In what turned out to be a crucial sequence, Kirby broke for second on Sean Holton's pitch to Alex Rodriguez, a called strike that eluded Scots catcher Travis Scates. Molosky made a dash for third base and reached safely on the wild pitch, but Kirby soon found himself in a rundown between first and second. Kirby managed to elude Maryville shortstop Nick Dean's tag, and scampered into second base for a stolen base.
 
Now with runners on second and third, one down and Rodriguez still at bat, the Monarch leftfielder lined a two-run double into left center to plate Molosky and Kirby, tying things up, 3-3.
 
Methodist tallied the tiebreaking run in the fifth as Pete Wildeboer crossed the plate via a run-scoring wild pitch, and Tyler Hardee later tacked on a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-3 game through five complete innings. Lucas Scott would provide the Monarchs with an insurance run in the eighth as he hit a run-scoring single to cap the day's scoring.
 
Salter (3-0) earned the victory for Methodist as he pitched 5.0 innings. He gave up three runs (2 ER) on five hits, two walks and struck out two. Josh Ayers earned his fifth save as he threw four scoreless innings in relief. He scattered two base hits and struck out two.
 
Travis Johnson and Scott each had two hits and a run scored for the Monarchs, and Power went 1-for-4 with a triple.
 
Holton (0-1) took the loss for the Scots as he threw 5.0 innings. He gave up five runs (4 ER) on four hits, four walks and struck out three.
 
Dean went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored for Maryville, and McDermott batted 2-for-4 with an RBI double.
 
Methodist returns to the diamond on Tuesday evening as it hosts Virginia Wesleyan beginning at 5:00 pm.