Baseball | 3/23/2014 9:53:00 PM

Box Score FERRUM, Va. -- Ferrum completed a three-game series sweep of the visiting Methodist baseball team as the Panthers won, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon at Panther Field.
 
The Monarchs (13-9, 7-5 USA South) dropped their fifth straight game as they could not hold a slim 1-0 edge against Ferrum (16-6, 13-2 USA South).
 
Through three-and-a-half frames, Methodist led by a single run as it scored in the top of the first. Chris Power hit a leadoff single to begin the game, and Pete Wildeboer followed that up with a single of his own. After a sacrifice bunt, Steven Kirby plated Power with a one-out RBI single to left.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, Monarchs reliever Michael Inman retired the first batter, but then walked Ty Comer and subsequently allowed him to reach third on a pair of wild pitches. Hank Parsley drew another base on balls, and with runners on the corners and one down, Inman's third wild pitch of the inning allowed Comer to score for a 1-1 tie. Parsley later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Jeff Swoope for the tiebreaking run, 2-1.
 
Still ahead by a 2-1 margin in the bottom of the sixth, the Panthers created some breathing room with three insurance runs.
 
Adam Duncan reached on a leadoff single, and then consecutive hits by Comer and Parsley, respectively, loaded the bases with none out. Later an error by Methodist third baseman Pete Wildeboer allowed two runs to score, and Swoope drove in yet another runner with a one-out sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 game.
 
The Monarchs began to mount a rally in their final turn to bat in the ninth as they loaded the bases with zero outs. Kirby reached base on an error, Josh Howard walked and Cody Molosky coaxed a base on balls. Following a flyball out, Tyler Hardee drove home a run with a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to close the gap to 5-2. Alex Rodriguez plated Howard with a fielder's choice that brought Methodist within two runs at 5-3. With two outs and runners on first and third, Ferrum reliever Manny Torres struck out Power swinging to seal the win and the sweep.
 
Power went 2-for-5 with a run scored for Methodist, and Hardee was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Inman (1-2) was charged with the loss as he pitched 1.1 innings and gave up two runs (1 ER) on a hit and three walks. He struck out one.
 
Swoope batted 0-for-4 but drove in a pair for the Panthers, and Comer and Parsley each scored twice. Taryn Hayden and Duncan both had two-hit games. Ferrum starting pitcher Javin Metz (2-0) picked up the victory on the mound as he threw 5.2 innings. He surrendered a run on six hits with no walks allowed and struck out one.
 
Up next for the Monarchs is a road game at Lynchburg on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm in Lynchburg, Va.