FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- The Methodist softball team split a doubleheader with crosstown rival Fayetteville State on Wednesday afternoon. The Broncos took game one, 11-3 in five innings, while MU held on for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap at Price Field.
 
The twinbill featured the visiting Broncos (1-3) as the home team for both games as the series was originally slated to be played at Lamon Street Park as a home game for FSU.
 
Miranda McKoy (1-0) gave up just two runs in 5.0+ innings in the nightcap to pick up her first collegiate win and lift MU (1-3) to its first win of the season.
 
The Broncos broke a scoreless tie through three innings with single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings. Madison Mendoza doubled up the middle to drive in Shi-Cara Goins in the fourth, and Courtney Pierre doubled home Ashlynn Zook in the fifth for a 2-0 lead.
 
Methodist answered with three runs in the sixth inning, picking up three hits and capitalizing off one FSU error to go up 3-2. Carleigh Haywood led off with a clean single to right then moved all the way up to third on a fielding error by the Broncos. Pinch-hitter Morgan Faircloth followed with a single to left and Savannah Dunn walked to put the go-ahead run on base. Following a strikeout, pinch hitter Searria Fisher laced a double to deep left that scored the tying run and advanced Dunn to third with one out.
 
Chloe Hespeler came through with a sacrifice fly to left that allowed Dunn to scamper home with the go-ahead run.
 
McKoy came back out for the start of the sixth inning after getting struck in the head by a line drive an inning earlier and allowed the first two batters to reach base. Fisher, who had stayed in the game at second base, came on to pitch and promptly struck out the first two batters she faced. She-Are' Mathis then weakly grounded out to second to end the threat.
 
Fisher then struck out the first batter of the seventh and proceeded to get to weak fly balls to end the game and pick up her first save. Fisher finished with 2.0 perfect innings with three strikeouts in relief.
 
Mendoza took the loss for FSU in game two, allowing three runs on six hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings.
 
Haywood was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base. Dunn was 1 for 2 with a walk and scored a run.
 
In the opener, the Broncos pounded out 15 hits, including a 4 for 4 performance from Goins, in cruising to the run-rule victory.
 
After the Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the first, MU got an RBI single from Kelsey Smith and a bases-loaded walk from Faircloth for a 2-1 lead. Fayetteville State tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second, and poured on four runs in the third, three in the fourth and two more in fifth as MU's bats went silent.
 
Brittany Jones was tagged with the loss for MU, allowing six runs (5 ER) on eight hits and a walk with one strikeout in 2.2 innings. Zook went the distance for FSU and allowed three runs (1 ER) on three hits and seven walks.
 
Haywood was 1 for 3 with an RBI, a run and a stolen base for the Green & Gold. Smith was 1 for 2 with a run and an RBI.
 
For the Broncos, Goins drove in two and scored once. Pierre, HaLee Knowles, Mendoza, Rachel Rodriguez and Nikki Brown each had two hits and Knowles drove in three runs.
 
The Monarchs return to action on Saturday when they host Messiah beginning at 12 pm.
 
 
 
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