WILSON, N.C. – The 22nd-ranked Methodist baseball team claimed the first game of its USA South series with N.C. Wesleyan with an 11-1 win on Thursday evening. The Monarchs (27-8, 19-6 USAS) recorded 13 hits, scoring eight runs in the second and third to take a comfortable lead.
After a scoreless first inning and holding the Battling Bishops (10-26, 8-20 USAS) in the top of the second, the Monarchs exploded for four runs on five hits and an error. A sacrifice bunt by
Pete Wildeboer and an error by NCWC's pitcher allowed
Matt Jack to score and singles by
Cody Molosky and
Alex Rodriguez added three more for a 4-0 Methodist advantage.
N.C. Wesleyan tallied its lone run of the game in the third, as Ciro Norzagaray doubled to center field to score Justin DiSanto, who walked in the previous at bat.
Jack led off the third with a single up the middle and a sacrifice bunt by
Ray Lanners advanced him to second. After a pop up by Wildeboer, a single by
Stephen Nalls moved Jack to third and an error by the Bishops scored him. The next batter,
Lucas Scott, drew a walk and a single by Molosky plated Nalls. Rodriguez recorded two more RBI with a single to right center, scoring Molosky and Scott and giving MU an 8-1 lead.
The Monarchs tacked on an insurance run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Wildeboer to score Jack, who drew a lead-off walk.
A triple by
Steven Kirby and another error by the Bishops in the eighth added two more for Methodist, and ended the game's scoring at 11-1.
Josh Howard (7-1) earned the win, pitching 8.0 innings and allowing one run on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Aaron O'Neil closed for the Monarchs, tossing the final 1.0 innings perfectly.
Molosky finished 3-for-4 with three RBI and two scored runs while Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Jack was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and Wildeboer, Kirby and Nalls each added an RBI.
NCWC's starting pitcher, Robert Mondoux (2-4) took the loss, seeing the mound for 2.2 innings and giving up eight runs (1 ER) on nine hits with two walks and an error.
Andrew Franklin pitched the last 5.1 innings, and allowed three runs on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.
Norzagaray was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk and DiSanto was 2-for-2 with one run scored.
The two teams continue their three-game series tomorrow, Friday, April 17, with a single game at the Mudcats Stadium in Zebulon, N.C. beginning at 2:30 pm.
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