FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Methodist split a pair of baseball games on Saturday afternoon as it wrapped up play on the second day of the Methodist Diamond Invitational at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
 
No. 17 Methodist opened with a 16-1 win in seven innings over Neumann, before dropping a 6-5 contest to No. 13 Marietta in 11 innings to close out its days. Methodist is now 3-3 on the season.
 
In its opening game, Methodist pounded out 14 hits against the Knights and took a an 8-1 lead after four innings of play.
 
Alex Dockery began the scoring with an RBI single in the second frame and he added a bases-clearing double in the third that gave MU a 6-0 lead. After Neumann plated a run in the fourth, MU got two runs back in the bottom of the inning before the flood gates opened late.
 
MU tallied three runs in the sixth, including a two-run triple by Davis Cass, and Alex Rodriguez and Cass each had two-RBI base hits as part of a five-run seventh.
 
Ross Leggett started on the hill for the Monarchs and went the distance. He allowed one run on five hits and three walk with six strikeouts to improve to 1-1 on the season. Matt Anderson started for the Knights and took the loss after allowing five runs (4 ER) on three hits and five walks with a pair of strikeouts in just 2.2 innings.
 
Cass was 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, four RBIs and four runs scored. Dockery was 3-for-3 with four RBIs, and Colin Ford, Rodriguez and Stephen Nalls all had a pair of base hits.
 
Kyle Williams was 2-for-3 for Neumann, and A.J. Koscelansky finished 1-for-4 with a run.
 
In the loss to Marietta, the Pioneers struck for four runs in the second inning, the big blow being a bases-loaded triple from Chris Petrucci. MU quickly got three runs back in the bottom of the inning, as Pete Wildeboer drove in two with a triple of his own, and Nalls drove in Wildeboer with a single back up the middle.
 
A sacrifice fly by Chandler Palyas in the fourth inning gave MC a 5-3 lead, but MU battle back to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth inning.
 
Wildeboer drove in a run with a two-out single, and after Nalls walked to load the bases, Ray Lanners drew a walk of his own to score Lucas Scott and tie the game at 5-5.
 
MU had a chance to win the game in the ninth, putting runners on first and second with one out, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the threat and sent the game to extras.
 
In the 11th, Tim McCoy banged out a leadoff triple, and with one out, scored on Tyler Packanik's single to left for a 6-5 edge. Methodist went down in order in the bottom of the frame.
 
Tyler Hardee started for MU and allowed five runs (4 ER) on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Thomas Dean (0-1) took the loss, allowing one run on three hit and three walks with five strikeouts in 4.0 innings of relief. Mitch McNabb worked 4.1 innings of shutout relief to earn the win. He did not allow a run in 4.1 innings and gave up three hits and two walks while striking out six.
 
Wildeboer led MU at the plate, going 2-for-6 with three RBIs and a run scored. Lanners was 1-for-3  a pair of walks and an RBI. Scott walked twice and scored twice.
 
Petrucci was 2-for-6 with three RBIs for Marietta.
 
Methodist will play host to Eastern on Tuesday beginning at 4:00 pm.