FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist softball team earned a split of a doubleheader with LaGrange on Saturday afternoon, winning the opener, 2-1, before falling 5-4 in the nightcap.
 
In the opener, Heather Williams scored on an error in the top of the fifth-inning to break a 1-1 tie, and Kelsey Harrington made the game-ending catch against the wall in left to close out the game.
 
After LaGrange took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, the Monarchs tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning after Allyson Aycock drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Kristen Bailly.
 
The score remained tied until the fifth when Williams reached base first and later came around to score on several fielding miscues by LaGrange.
 
Nicole Heinrich picked up the win in the circle. She allowed one run (0 ER) on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in a complete seven innings. Six different Monarchs recorded hits, including Williams, who was 1-for-3 with a run and Bailly was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run.
 
In the nightcap, LaGrange scored four runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead, and then withstood a rally from the Monarchs.
 
Ally Griffin made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly in the third inning, and Kelsey Harrington added a solo home run in the fourth to pull the Monarchs within two at 5-3. In the fourth inning, MU made it a one-run game on Lindsay Tippett's sacrifice fly.
 
Methodist got the tying run to third in the seventh inning as Tippett doubled to lead off the frame and was sacrificed to third. The Panthers were able to retire the next two batters, however, and completed the sweep.
 
Emily Hester was tagged with the loss, allowing five runs on five hits and two walks with one strikeout in 2.1 innings.
 
Sarah Stapleton was 3-for-4 with a run, and Tippett added two hits in three at-bats with a run driven in.
 
The Monarchs host Huntingdon on Sunday beginning at 10:00 am.