FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Methodist University baseball team earned a 7-5 win against Pfeiffer on Friday night at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
 
With the result, the Monarchs stretch their win streak to nine games and improve to 19-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Falcons drop to 12-6 overall.
 
MU scored first in the bottom half of the opening frame as Matthias Carter reached on an error by the shortstop before moving to second on a ground out. Alex Kachler lined a double to left-center field to score Carter and record his 36th RBI of the season, 1-0. Two batters later, Tucker Criswell hit a two-out RBI single to left to score Kachler, 2-0.
 
The Monarchs added another run in the second inning as Jacob Austin kicked off the frame with a base hit and advanced to second on an errant throw. He moved to third on a groundout and came around to score on an RBI single by Carter, 3-0. The Falcons answered in the third inning with a run as Jordan Eckard homered to left field, 3-1.
 
The score held until the sixth inning as the Monarchs plated four runners. Will May and Criswell each walked and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Davis Cass. A bunt by Austin was placed between the pitcher and first baseman and scored a run as Austin reached on the bunt single, 4-1. Parker Clayton walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Carter singled to center to bring across two runs and Clay Richardson also hit a single to score another run, 7-1.
 
Pfeiffer picked up two runs in the seventh frame to cut the lead to 7-3. Chaston Gordon and Kyler Fairchild opened the inning with a pair of hits to force a pitching change. Damon Smith laced a single up the middle to score both runners, 7-3. In the eighth inning, the Falcons manufactured a run as Kirby Lambert walked and eventually came around to score on a single to center, 7-4. A two-out RBI single in the top of the ninth cut the lead to 7-5, but the Falcons stranded two runners as the last batter flew out to end the game.
 
Tyler Brown (6-0) pitched 6.0-plus innings and surrendered three runs on six hits. He struck out four but also walked four in the win. Thomas Dean pitched 1.0 inning and struck out two. Kevin Williams pitched the eighth and Will Walker came in the ninth to close the game and pick up his sixth save of the season.
 
Nick Richmond (3-2) was saddled with the loss after giving up seven runs (5 ER) on eight hits and three walks in 5.2 innings. He also struck out six batters. Cameron Reid finished the game and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and scattered three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Carter was 2 for 4 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored, while Richardson, Katcher and Austin also all collected a pair of hits in the win. Austin also scored twice and drove in a run.
 
For the Falcons, Eckard went 3 for 5 with a home run and Fairchild and Smith each had two hits. Lambert, who entered the game with a league-best .492 batting average was held without a hit. Pfeiffer left 10 men on base compared to just four for the Monarchs.
 
Methodist and Pfeiffer play game two of their three-game series tomorrow, March 17, at Armstrong-Shelley Field with first pitch scheduled for 1 pm.