FERRUM, Va. -- The Methodist softball team received a pair of strong pitching performances in splitting at doubleheader at Ferrum on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Panthers (3-6, 2-2 USA South) took game one, 2-1, and MU (4-14, 1-1) bounced back for a 3-1 win in the nightcap.
 
Methodist actually out hit the Panters in game one, 7-6, and had a chance to tie or take the lead in the seventh inning. Ellie Gale led off with a single and was replaced by pinch runner Kristen Emrich. After Emrich was retired on a fielder's choice off the bat of Savannah Dunn, the Monarchs lined into a tough-luck double play to end the game.
 
Ferrum had broken a 1-1 tie in the sixth on Bailey Oakes' RBI single to right. Methodist's lone run came on an RBI double by Samantha Jacobs in the second inning.
 
Aly Thomas took the loss (1-6) for the Monarchs, yielding just two runs (1 ER) on six hits with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Ashton Lambeth picked up the win (3-1) for Ferrum. She gave up one run on seven hits with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Neither pitcher walked a batter.
 
Jacobs was 2 for 4 at the plate for MU, and Gale finished 2 for 3.
 
In game two, Chloe Hespeler picked up her second win in as many starts (2-5). The freshman allowed one unearned run on six hits without a walk and one strikeout in 7.0 innings. Courtney Rudd (0-3) took the loss for Ferrum, she gave up three runs on five hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out 10 in 7.0 innings.
 
Emily Hester gave the Monarchs a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly to right that plated Jacobs, who had led off with a triple. Hester made it 2-0 in the third, driving Jacobs, who had tripled again, with a fielder's choice. She would come around to score on Hannah Key's double to make it 3-0.
 
The Panthers attempted to rally in the seventh. Maddie Ols led off with a single and an error by MU put runners on first and second with nobody out. Another error by the Green and Gold allowed Ols to score to make it 3-1 with two runners still on base. Lois Carpenter lined into a double play, and following a two-out single, Hespeler got Lambeth to pop out to second to end the game with the tying run on first.
 
Jacobs finished 3 for 4 with two triples and two runs scored. Hester drove in two runs, and Key was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
 
Cheyenne Strickland was 3 for 4 to lead the Panthers, and Ols finished 1 for 3 with a run.
 
Methodist is back on the field on Saturday as it hosts Averett in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 pm.