FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- North Carolina Wesleyan defeated the Methodist baseball team, 4-2, on Friday evening at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
 
The Monarchs slipped to 13-13 on the season and 5-5 in the USA South. The Battling Bishops moved to 18-11 over and 9-4 in the league.
 
NCWC's Ryan Grant improved to 5-0 on the season, allowing just runs in 7.0 innings. He worked around nine hits and a pair of walks by recording nine strikeouts on the evening. MU's Greg Johnson fell to 1-5 on the year. He allowed three runs on five hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 5.1 innings.
 
The Monarchs actually opened the scoring, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Lucas Scott doubled with two outs and scored on Tucker Criswell's triple to right for the game's first run. Davis Cass followed with a single through the left side and Criswell came home for a 2-0 lead.
 
In the second inning, the Bishops managed a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. Cedrick Kornegay drive in the NCWC's first run with a groundout, and Alec Titmus added an RBI single.
 
Methodist held NCWC to just one hit over the next three innings until the Bishops broke the tie with a single run in the sixth inning. A walk to Tony Sanchez began the inning and he moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Logan Andrews chased Johnson with a single down the left field line for a 3-2 lead.
 
The Bishops tacked on one run in the ninth inning on Nate Gardner's single up the middle.
 
Three different Monarchs had two hits on the game. Criswell and Cass each went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Criswell also scored once, stole a base and walked. Matthias Carter was 2 for 5.
 
The Monarchs and Bishops will resume the series with game two on Saturday beginning at 2:00 pm.