FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Top-ranked Cortland State edged the No. 17 Methodist baseball team, 5-3, in the third game of the Methodist Diamond Invitational at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Friday evening.
 
The Monarchs, ranked 17th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 40, held a 3-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Red Dragons (4-0) tallied a pair of runs in the seventh to make it 3-2 before a three-run eighth pushed them in front 5-3.
 
Scoreless through the first three innings, MU struck first in the fourth inning. Alex Rodriguez led off the frame with a single and moved up 90 feet on Tyler Hardee's sacrifice bunt. He took third on a wild pitch. Colin Ford was hit by a pitch with one out to put runners on the corners, and Davis Cass followed with a bunt of his own that scored Rodriguez for a 1-0 lead.
 
In the sixth inning, Ray Lanners led off with a walk and a wild pitch moved him to second. Hardee drew a one-out walk and was replaced with pinch runner Brennan Brown. Ford then singled to right to score Rodriguez for a 2-0 lead. With two outs, the Monarchs loaded the bases on a walk to Alex Dockery, and Lucas Scott followed with another walk to drive in Brown and make it 3-0.
 
Cortland State answered with a pair of runs in the seventh, including Rich Nuzzi's RBI double to make it 3-2. With two on and one out in the eighth, Justin Teague singled to short and Cortland tied the game at 3-3 on an errant throw to third on the play. Two batters later Cortland took the lead on another MU error, a throwing error that allowed Teague and Steven Figueroa score for a 5-3 lead.
 
The Monarchs loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth inning on a walk to Brown, and singles by Dockery and Scott, but a strike out to end the inning snuffed the threat.
 
The Cortland rally spoiled a strong start from MU's Seth Beard. He did not factor in the decision after 5.0 innings of shutout ball. He gave up three hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Nick Norton was tagged with the loss (0-1) allowing five runs (2 ER) on four hits and a walk in 2.1 innings.
 
Justin Martin earned the win in relief. He tossed 1.2 innings surrendering one hit and one walk with a strikeout and not allowing a run. Ben Moxley started on the hill, lasting 5.0 innings and giving up one run on three hits and a walk with three punchouts.
 
Scott finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Ford was 1 for 2 with an RBI, and Lanners finished 1 for 4 with a walk and a run.
 
Teague was 2 for 2 with a pair of runs for the Red Dragons. Nuzzi was 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run, and Figueroa had two hits in four at bats with a run.
 
Methodist is back at it on Saturday when its hosts Neumann at 1:00 pm.