FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — The Methodist baseball team won in exciting fashion on Sunday, coming from behind, 4-2, in the bottom of the ninth to score three runs and grab the eventual 5-4 win.
The Monarchs (21-7, 13-5) came out swinging in the ninth, putting runners in scoring position on singles by Chris Power and Alex Rodriguez. Steven Kirby sent a sacrifice fly to center field to score Power, and after a walk by Matt Jack and a fly out by Ray Lanners, a failed pickoff attempt by Maryville (19-10, 14-10) scored Rodriguez to knot the game at 4-4. An error by the Scots' second baseman allowed Pete Wildeboer to reach and advance to second, pushing Davis Cass, who pinch ran for Jack, to third. A walk-off single by Stephen Nalls scored Cass, and the Monarchs tallied their 12th straight win.
Maryville, dropping both ends of the USA South doubleheader on Saturday, came for revenge early in the game, tallying two runs in the top of the first inning. Nick Reynolds led off with a base knock to left center and after an error by the Monarchs, back-to-back walks drawn by Nick Dean and Zack Blonder allowed MC to grab a 1-0 lead. The Scots went ahead, 2-0, on a sacrifice fly by the designated hitter, Austin Watters. The Monarch defense was able to stop the Scots from scoring again by eliminating Dean at home and forcing Michael Hawks to fly out to center field.
After three scoreless innings for both teams, Methodist made it on the board in the bottom of the fifth, cutting the deficit in half, 2-1. Nalls led the frame off with a double to right field, and a single by Cody Molosky plated him two batters later.
Maryville answered in the top of the sixth with two runs, scoring off a single by Watters and a sacrifice fly to left field by Jesse Crisp, to push its advantage to 4-1.
The Monarchs scored again in the bottom of the seventh, when Power hammered a triple to right field, and scored on a wild pitch on the next play, bringing the scoreboard to 4-2 in Maryville's favor.
On the day, Nalls finished 3-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Molosky was 1-for-4 with an RBI and Kirby added one RBI.
Relief pitcher Michael Inman earned the win for the Monarchs, tossing the final 4.0 innings and allowed no runs and just four hits with two strikeouts. Daniel Royer started for MU, pitching 5.0 innings and gave up four runs (2 ER) on six hits.
For Maryville, McDermott was 2-for-4 with one run scored and Watters went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Blonder, Hawks and Crisp each added an RBI apiece.
Tyler Hopkins was saddled with the loss, allowing four hits and all three runs (1 ER) in his 1.0 innings on the mound.
The Monarchs will travel to Demorest, Ga. next weekend to compete in a USA South series against Piedmont beginning on Friday at 1 p.m.
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