FAYETTEVILLE, N.C -- The 23rd-ranked Methodist baseball team's strong offensive outing in its home-opening doubleheader against Emory & Henry College led to the Monarch's 2-0 start to their 2016 season. The Green and Gold went for 24 hits on Saturday at Armstrong-Shelley Field while the MU pitching staff held the Wasps (0-8) to just 12 hits and five runs.
 
Game 1 - MU 14, E&H 5
 
After a scoreless inning and holding the Wasps in the top of the second, the Monarchs tallied three runs on two hits and an error. A ground out by Colin Ford scored Tyler Hardee, and a single by Lucas Scott scored Davis Cass. To go up 3-0, an error by the first baseman pushed Scott to third, and a wild pitch by Emory & Henry's starting pitcher, Aaron Sparks (0-2), scored him.
 
In the bottom of the third, Stephen Nalls led off with a double to right center and the next batter, Ray Lanners, sent a bomb to right field, a two-run homer, to give MU a 5-0 lead. Three batters later, Ford scored Cass with a double to right field and a single by Scott brought Ford home, pushing Methodist ahead, 7-0.
 
Methodist tacked on two more runs in the fourth before exploding for five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs on the board and bases loaded, Lanners double to right field, scoring Alex Dockery and pinch-hitter Adam Gunn. Alex Rodriguez then sent a three-run home run over the right field wall, capping Methodist's scoring and giving the Green and Gold a comfortable 14-0 advantage.
 
The Wasps rallied in the seventh inning, scoring five runs on singles by Brandon Lineberry and Eli Straw and a double by Carson Bryant, but ultimately fell short.
 
Lanners was 3-for-4 with four RBI and three scored runs in game one and Cass was 2-for-4 and scored twice. Scott finished 2-for-2 with two RBI and one scored run and Rodriguez was 1-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored.
 
Travis Johnson earned his first win of the year, pitching the first 3.0 innings, allowing three hits with one strikeout. Thomas Dean, Logan Haines and Ethan Woodruff entered as relief pitchers and combined allowed five hits and four runs.
 
Lineberry went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored and Bryant finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.
 
Sparks took the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3.0 innings pitched. Ryan Mullins, Isaac Hummel and Kyle Creasy served as relief pitchers for the remaining 4.0 innings and allowed seven runs (6 ER) on five hits as a whole.
 
Game 2 - MU 9, E&H 0
 
Tyler Hardee (1-0) delivered an outstanding outing for Methodist in game two, pitching a scoreless 5.0 innings and allowed just three hits to help the Monarchs to the 9-0 victory.
 
Methodist was the first to reach the board again in the night-cap, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Rodriguez led off with a double to left field and back-to-back bunts by Nick Zieniuk and Davis Cass scored Rodriguez, and after a double by Ford, Cass scored on a ground out by Scott.
 
In the bottom of the third, Methodist scored two more, on a single by Rodriguez and a passed ball and after a scoreless fourth inning, the Monarchs gained a 6-0 lead in the fifth. Consecutive mistakes by E&H allowed for Nalls to reach and then advance to second, and another RBI single by Rodriguez scored him. Rodriguez stole second and an error by the third baseman while trying to steal third allowed him to score.
 
The Monarchs recorded their final three runs in the bottom of the sixth, going ahead, 9-0, scoring on a sacrifice bunt by Dockery and a two-RBI single by Rodriguez.
 
In game two, Rodriguez was a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Cass and Ford were both 2-for-3 and Nalls was 1-for-3 with three runs scored.
 
Seth Beard closed for Methodist, pitching the final 2.0 innings and only allowing one hit with three strikeouts.
 
Straw and Bryant were each 1-for-3 for Emory & Henry.
 
Starting pitcher Garrett Butler (0-1) was saddled with the loss, pitching the first 4.0 innings and allowing five runs (3 ER) on four hits with five strikeouts. Troy Polen pitched the final 2.0 innings and allowed four runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
 
Methodist will be back in action tomorrow as it finishes its three-game series with Emory & Henry at 1:00 pm.
 
--