GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Methodist baseball team opened its weekend series with Greensboro by splitting a doubleheader on Friday. The Monarchs lost game one, 6-4, before earning a 13-6 victory in game two.
With the results, the Monarchs are now 11-8 on the year with a 3-2 record in league play. Meanwhile, the Pride move to 13-7 overall behind a 2-3 conference mark.
In game one, MU got on the board first in the second inning after
Davis Cass opened the inning with an infield single. He advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Clay Richardson before moving to third on a balk.
Will May laid down a sac bunt that allowed Cass to score, but reached base on a throwing error by the pitcher. May eventually moved to third base and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by
Lucas Scott, 2-0. The Pride took the lead in the home half of the fourth inning when it posted five runs on five hits and took advantage of an error, 5-2. GC added an insurance run in the sixth after a two-out walk turned into an RBI single, 6-2.
The Monarchs closed the deficit in the eighth inning after Scott started the inning with a lead-off double to right-center field. He came around to score on an RBI single by
Brennen Brown. During the following at-bat, Brown came around to score from second on a ground out to second base, 6-4. MU went down in order in the ninth and could not complete the comeback.
Greg Johnson (1-3) got the start and tossed 3.1 innings but was removed in the fourth inning after allowing four runs (earned) with three walked and five strikeouts. Piero Amador (3-1) got the win after pitching a complete game. He allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and struck out 13 batters and walked just one.
Scott went 2 for 2 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored in game one.
In game two, the scoring started in the fourth. In the visitor half of the frame, the Green and Gold started off with consecutive singles to take a 1-0 lead.
Alex Kachler walked to the plate and slapped an RBI single to centerfield before Cass put another single to center to give the Monarchs a 3-0 lead. GC got one run back before MU tacked on another run on a single by
Tucker Criswell, 4-1.
The Pride took a 5-4 lead in the home half of the fifth after taking advantage of three defensive errors from the Monarchs and two hits, 5-4. Methodist responded with two runs in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. The first run came when
Matthias Carter scored on a double steal attempt and the throw down from the catcher went in to centerfield. On the following play, Brown crossed home plate on a walk after a wild pitch.
In the eighth inning, the Monarchs exploded for six runs on six hits as they batted around to take a 12-5 lead. GC registered one run in the eighth before MU tallied an insurance run in the top of the ninth to take a 13-6 win.
Tyler Beyel, who was named USA South Baseball Rookie Pitcher of the Week on Monday, (ND) got the start and pitched 4.0 innings and scattered seven hits, allowing two runs (earned) with three strikeouts.
Nick Norton (2-1) received the victory after pitching 5.0 innings of relief and allowing one earned run on seven hits and striking out seven batters. Cameron Whitson (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing two runs on one hit and only recrding one out. Josh Evans (ND) started on the hill and went 6.0 innings allowing four runs on nine hits with five strikeouts.
Brown, Cass and Scott each tallied three hits at the plate in game two, while Scott posted three RBI with three runs scored. Kachler went 2 for 4 at the plate with three walks, while the Monarchs combined for 16 hits in the night cap.
Methodist returns to action tomorrow, March 11, as it completes the three-game series at Greensboro with first pitch scheduled for 12 pm.
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