Softball | 3/21/2014 7:08:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist softball team swept its doubleheader against Covenant on Friday afternoon at Monarch Field. Game scores were 8-4 and 5-2, respectively.
 
Trailing by a 3-2 margin through four-and-a-half innings, the Monarchs tied game one up, 3-3, in the bottom of the fifth. Lindsay Tippett hit a one-out double to center, and Allyson Aycock came up to bat next and promptly drove in Tippett with a double of her own.
 
In its next time to hit in the bottom of the sixth, Methodist broke open a 3-3 contest with a five-run inning.
 
Following a Kirsten Markow groundout to begin the frame, Savannah Upshaw reached base via a throwing error by Covenant third baseman Jordan Brett. The following batter, Kelsey Harrington, reached safely when Scot pitcher Cori Hilt threw a groundball into right field, putting runners on first and third with one down.
 
Tippett proceeded to plate the tiebreaking run with sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Upshaw and advance Harrington to second. After a two-out single by Aycock, Harrington crossed the plate on a Hilt wild pitch to make it a 5-3 game.
 
Following a walk to Ally Griffin, Heather Williams drove home Aycock with a groundout, and ended up on first after a throwing error by Scot shortstop Chandler Shepherd. Krista Zentner capped the Monarchs' scoring in game one with a two-out, two-run double to drive in Williams and Griffin for an 8-3 edge.
 
Methodist crossed the plate eight times on only six hits in game one, but also walked seven times against zero strikeouts. Aycock batted 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and three RBI. Harrington scored twice, and Zentner drove in two runs.
 
Jordan Pietrolaj (1-0) picked up the victory in the pitcher's circle as she threw 1.2 innings. She gave up one run on two hits and struck out one.
 
Lauren Jones went 3-for-3 with two RBI for Covenant, and Shepherd had two hits and scored twice. Brett drove in two runs.
 
Hilt (5-8) took the loss as she pitched a 6.0-inning complete game. She surrendered eight runs (3 ER) on six hits and seven walks.
 
In the nightcap, the Monarchs (7-16, 4-8 USA South) led throughout on their way to a 5-2 victory over the Scots (8-16, 3-11 USA South).
 
Batting in the bottom of the first, Tanya Van Dyk hit a leadoff double to right center, and would advance to third on a wild pitch as Harrington batted. Van Dyk scored shortly thereafter on an RBI single to left by Harrington for a 1-0 advantage. Three batters later, Griffin brought home Harrington on a two-out, run-scoring single to left for a 2-0 Methodist lead through one inning.
 
After Covenant scored a run in the top of the third on a Monarch fielding error, Methodist tallied its final three runs of the afternoon in its turn to bat in the fourth.
 
With the bases empty, Marcy McKee drew a two-out walk, and scored all the way from first on Williams' double to right center to give the Monarchs some breathing at 3-1. Van Dyk then plated Williams with an RBI single down the left field line. After a Harrington single, Tippett drove in Van Dyk on a run-scoring double to left field to make it 5-1 in favor of Methodist.
 
The Scots tacked on their final run of the day in the fifth on Morgan Lane's RBI single that brought in Meagan Hess.
 
Van Dyk batted 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored for the Monarchs. Harrington went 2-for-3 with one run driven in.
 
Brittany Miller (3-7) made the start in the pitcher's circle for Methodist, and won after going 4.0 innings. She gave up one run (0 ER) on two hits and two walks and struck out one. Nicole Heinrich scattered two hits, walked one and struck out one in two scoreless frames of relief to earn her first save.
 
Johns had another multi-hit performance for Covenant as she batted 2-for-4, and Lane drove in one run.
Game two starter Hannah Rogers (3-8) went the distance as she pitched 6.0 innings. She surrendered five runs on nine hits and three walks and struck out one.
 
Methodist will be back on the field tomorrow afternoon as it hosts a doubleheader against Maryville starting at 12:00 pm.