FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Methodist baseball team closed out the 2017 Diamond Invitational with a 7-3 victory against Bridgewater at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Monarchs move to 5-4 on the season and won each of their three games in the invitational. Meanwhile, the Eagles drop to 1-2 overall.
BC opened the game with a lead-off single by Garrison Wright who eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Chris King to give the Eagles an early 1-0 lead. In the top of the second inning, the visiting team tallied another run after a double down the left field line from Wright scored Luke Paczewski. In the bottom half of the inning, MU tied the score after
Kevin Williams drew a lead-off walk and scored on an RBI triple by
Lucas Scott. In the following at bat, Scott crossed the plate on a ground out by
Brennen Brown.
After a pitching change by BC in the fourth inning, the Monarchs took the lead for the first time. Brown led off with a single up the middle before making his way to third after a sacrifice bunt and an error. He scored on a fielding error to make the score 3-2. The Eagles tied the game again in the sixth after a Paczewski double and a throwing error.
In the seventh inning,
Pete Wildeboer singled up the middle and advanced to second on a balk before moving to third on a single by
Davis Cass.
Will May laid down a sacrifice bunt that allowed Wildeboer to score and advance Cass to second to give the Monarchs a 4-3 lead. MU recorded three more runs in the eighth inning when Scott crossed home plate on a bunt play by Mathias Carter and a two-run single by Cass, 7-3.
Scott went 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored, while Wildeboer finished 2 for 4 with a run scored. Cass recorded two hits with two RBI and Brown went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
For the Eagles, Pacwerski went 3 for 4 with a run scored, while Chris King ended the day 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Tyler Hardee (2-0) started on the mound and allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out five in 7.0 innings of work.
Madison Cook (2) tossed 2.0 innings of relief and scattered three hits with one strikeout. Tristan Daywalt (0-1) was saddled with the loss after throwing 5.0 innings of relief and yielding five runs (three earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts. Jordan Showalter (ND) got the start and allowed two runs (earned) on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work.
Methodist returns to action as it hosts the Armstrong Invitational beginning on Friday, February 24, with a game against Elmira beginning at 4 pm.
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