Baseball | 3/2/2014 5:03:00 PM

Box Score DANVILLE, Va. – The Methodist baseball team defeated Averett, 6-5, on Sunday afternoon to complete a three-game series sweep at Owen-Fulton Field.
 
Josh Ayers secured the victory for the Monarchs (8-2, 3-0 USA South) with his fourth save. He worked through a shaky eighth inning and induced the final out via a flyball off the bat of Cody Moore with a man on to seal the sweep.

Methodist led by a 2-1 margin entering its turn to bat in the eighth and put up a four-spot to make it a 6-1 game.
 
Following a leadoff walk to Chris Power and a balk against Cougar (3-7, 0-3 USA South) pitcher T.J. Viracola, Pete Wildeboer reached on a bunt single to put runners on the corners with no men out. Stephen Nalls successfully plated Power with a sacrifice bunt, and after Wildeboer advanced to third on a wild pitch, Tyler Hardee batted him in with a run-scoring base hit to right center.
 
Now ahead by three runs (4-1), the Monarchs scored twice more in the eighth via a Ray Lanners RBI double and later added an unearned run on a throwing error by the Averett second baseman.
 
With Methodist ahead by a 6-1 score heading into the bottom half of the inning, Monarch starting pitcher Josh Howard trotted back out to the mound.
 
Howard promptly allowed the first three Cougar batters to reach base, and was pulled from the game after Kevin Alvarez drove home Ramel Reynolds on a fielder's choice to third. Ayers entered in relief of Howard, and immediately surrendered a two-run double by Taylor Davis and later a two-out, run-scoring base hit by J.T. Crowder, which made it a one-run game (6-5). Ayers would finish the inning by retiring Jason Carter on a flyout to right field.
 
Alex Rodriguez went 2-for-4 at the plate with two doubles for the Monarchs, which finished with nine base hits total. Howard (2-0) earned the win with 7.1 innings pitched and gave up six hits and four runs. He struck out eight and walked only one.
 
Taylor Davis finished 2-for-4, and accounted for Averett's lone extra-base hit of the day. Cody Moore reached base three times via two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Cougar starting pitcher Cody Johnson (0-4) took the loss as he threw 7.0 innings and surrendered five hits and two runs. He walked one and struck out two.
 
Methodist plays next at Guilford College on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 2:30 pm.