FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist baseball team closed the first day of the 2017 George and Carolyn Armstrong Invitational with a 9-4 victory against Elmira at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Friday evening.
 
Prior to the start of the contest, a ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Caleb Armstrong, the grandson of the tournament's namesake. Both the field and recently completed Fieldhouse bear the Armstrong name as the family has been a large benefactor to the program for many years.

 
With the win, the Monarchs improve to 6-4 on the season and have now won four-straight games. Meanwhile, the Soaring Eagles drop to 0-2 overall.
 
Elmira took an early lead in the first inning after scoring two runs on three hits. The 2-0 lead held until the home half of the fifth inning. Brennan Brown led off with a single before advancing to third base on a failed pickoff attempt. He then crossed home plate to cut the lead in half, 2-1, on a sacrifice bunt by Mathias Carter.
 
In the sixth inning, Lucas Scott was hit by a pitch before moving to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Will May. Tyler Hardee doubled to left field to bring Scott in to tie the game, 2-2. Clay Richardson reached on a throwing error that allowed Hardee to move to third before Carter hit a two-out single to right field to give the Monarchs a 3-2 lead. After a pitching change, MU capped a four-run inning with a two-run single to right field, 5-2.
 
The Soaring Eagles started the seventh with a single before an RBI triple cut the lead to 5-3. On the following play, another player crossed home plate on a ground out to decrease the lead to just one run, 5-4. In the eighth inning, the Monarchs added a few insurance runs after loading the bases with no outs as Carter lined a three-run triple to right field. The Green and gold added one more run on the ensuing at-bat when Carter came across to score on a sacrifice fly to right field by Pete Wildeboer to get to the final score of 9-4.
 
Greg Johnson (1-1) threw 6.2 innings and allowed four runs (earned) on eight hits with six strikeouts. After allowing three hits in the first inning, he allowed just two base runners in the next four innings. Andy Reed (0-2) was saddled with the loss after 5.2 innings on the mound and yielding five runs (one earned) on five hits with two strikeouts.
 
Carter finished 2 for 2 at the plate with five RBI, two runs scored and a walk. He reached base in four of his five plate appearances. Wildeboer ended the night with three RBI, while Hardee went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
 
Methodist returns to action tomorrow, Feb. 25, against Mitchell at Armstrong-Shelley Field beginning at 12 pm.
 
 
 
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