FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Methodist University baseball team dropped a 6-5 contest to Pfeiffer at Armstrong-Shelley Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
With the loss, the Monarchs' 10-game winning streak came to an end as they sit at 20-3 on the season. Meanwhile, the Falcons improve to 13-7 overall.
 
Pfeiffer put up four runs in the second inning as it collected six hits, all singles, including a two-run single by Jordan Eckard. The Falcons added one more run in the third inning as Christian Marciano led off the frame with a home run to left field, 5-0.
 
The Monarchs manufactured a run in the home half of the third inning. Davis Cass was hit by a pitch with two outs. Alex Kachler drew a walk and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Will May singled up the middle to score Cass, 5-1. MU threatened to score in the fourth, but left the bases loaded.
 
Tucker Criswell belted his second home run of the year in the fifth inning with two outs to cut the lead to 5-1. Pfeiffer added its last run in the seventh inning as Kirby Lambert scored after a failed pickoff attempt advanced runners, 6-1.
 
Criswell led off a big eighth inning with a single and found himself at third base after a throwing error by the pitcher. Parker Clayton drove in Criswell to put two runners on base and cut the lead to 6-3. Jacob Austin and Clayton each moved up a bag on a wild pitch before Austin scored on a passed ball, 6-4, on a pitch that popped out of the catcher's glove and rolled just far enough to score Austin. With runners on the corners, the Monarchs attempted a squeeze play, but the Falcons tagged out the lead runner to put runners on first and second with one out. Elliot Manley and Ethan Carmack each advanced on a double steal and Carmack scored on a groundout to the right side of the infield, 6-5. The Monarchs could not score the runner on third as he was stranded to end the inning.
 
Tristen Luck (5-1) took his first loss of the season after pitching just 2.0 innings and allowing four runs on six hits. Hunter Barnes tossed 4.0 innings and struck out three batters, while Kevin Williams and Will Walker combined for the final three innings and yielded just one run on three hits.
 
Will Altemueller (4-2) earned his fourth win of the year after pitching 6.0 innings and surrendered two runs on six hits. Xavier Rodriguez picked up his third save of the season after tossing 2.0 innings.
 
Clayton, Criswell and May all had two hits, while Criswell homered and scored twice.
 
Methodist returns to the diamond on Wednesday, March 18, against Tufts at Armstrong-Shelley Field at 4 pm.