Baseball | 3/9/2014 5:50:00 PM

Box Score FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist baseball team dropped the rubber match of its three-game set with visiting Piedmont, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
 
Both teams began the day with identical 10-3 records as well as 4-1 marks in conference play.
 
The Lions (11-3, 5-1 USA South) tallied both of their runs in the top half of the second inning off Monarch (10-4, 4-2 USA South) starting pitcher Josh Howard.
 
Following back-to-back walks to Evan Gresham and Michael Barnes, Piedmont had runners on first and second with no outs. A wild pitch by Howard advanced the runners as Zack Johnson batted, putting men on second and third.
 
Later in that same at-bat, Johnson hit a groundball to Methodist third baseman Pete Wildeboer, and Gresham attempted to score from third on the batted ball. Wildeboer's throw was on the money to catcher Ray Lanners, but the Monarch backstop muffed the ball as Gresham slid in safely for the game's first run. Austin Brick would proceed to drive home Barnes with a groundout to first base for a 2-0 lead.
 
Methodist would tally its lone run of the afternoon on a run-scoring single by Steven Kirby in the bottom of the seventh, but finished the game having left six runners on base.
 
Wildeboer went 2-for-4 for the Monarchs with a stolen base, and Kirby batted 2-for-3 with a run driven in. Howard (2-1) was pegged with the loss as he went 5.0 innings and gave up three hits and two runs. He walked four and struck out five.
 
Griffin Olson paced the Lions with two base hits and also stole a base. Piedmont starter Chris Goershel (3-0) earned the win as he threw 7.0 innings and surrendered six hits and one run. He struck out five and walked none. Jacob Brewster claimed his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.
 
Methodist will play its next two games on Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader against Maryville. First pitch of the opener is scheduled for 1:00 pm.