FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Methodist University baseball team split a doubleheader with Greensboro on Friday.
 
A ninth-inning rally pushed the Monarchs (21-6, 10-3 USA South) to a 7-6 win in the first game of the day before the Pride (11-14, 7-7) earned a 7-4 victory in the nightcap.
 
The Pride scored first in game one as they recorded three-straight singles to plate a runner and grab a 1-0 lead. Will May tied the contest as he led off the bottom of the second with a home run to right-center field, 1-1. Tucker Criswell followed with a walk and moved to second on a Davis Cass sacrifice bunt before advancing to third on a fly out. Criswell scored on a wild pitch to give MU a 2-1 lead.
 
Greensboro picked up three runs on five hits in the following half inning to assume a 4-2 lead. The Pride also left the bases loaded. Methodist got one run back in the fifth as Parker Clayton reached on a fielder's choice and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Elliot Manley, 4-3. The Pride added two more runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Lincoln Hewett, who was pinch hitting, and an RBI double by Blake Carroll, 6-3. The home half of the frame saw the Monarchs plate two runners. Jacob Austin walked to start off the inning and Parker Clayton laced a single down the left field line to chase the starting pitcher, Piero Amador, from the contest. A bunt single by Manley loaded the bases for Matthias Carter who drew a walk to score Austin. Clayton scored on the following at-bat on a fielder's choice to set the score at 6-5.
 
The Pride threatened to add to its lead in the top of the ninth as they had runners in the corners to force a pitching change. Kevin Williams entered the game and struck out a batter and induced the inning-ending ground ball to strand two runners in scoring position.
 
Carter led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a single and took second base on a wild pitch. With two outs, May struck a double down the right field line to tie the game at 6-6. Tucker Criswell followed with a walk-off single to score May from second as the Monarchs picked up a 7-6 victory.
 
Tyler Brown (ND) started and pitched 3.0 innings, surrendering four runs on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts. Williams (1-0) registered the win after getting the last two outs of the ninth inning and striking out one. Amador (ND) tossed 6.0 innings and allowed five runs (4 ER) on five hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts. Joseph Hoelle (3-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up two runs on six hits in 2.2 innings of work.
 
May was 4 for 5 with two RBI, two runs scored, a double and a home run, while Criswell and Clayton each had two hits. Carroll was 3 for 6 at the plate for the Pride, while Scotty McGuire was 2 for 4 with two runs scored.
 
In the second game of the day, Methodist took an early 1-0 lead when Carter scored on a sac bunt by May who reached on an error. Greensboro tied the contest in the second as McGuire led off with a single and eventually scored on an RBI single by Dignan, 1-1. GC scored three times in the third inning to jump out to a 4-1 advantage and plated two more in the fifth to go up 6-1.
 
Alex Kachler led off the home half of the seventh with a home run to cut the deficit to 6-2 before the Pride got the run back in the eighth on a two-out RBI single, 7-2. Kachler and May each reached on errors to start the bottom of the ninth inning, while Kachler scored on the error that allowed May to reach. May crossed home plate on a sac fly by Criswell to set the score at 7-4. Despite a foul ball that seemed to land in fair territory, the final two Methodist batters went down on strikes to end the game.
 
Tristen Luck (5-2) was strapped with the loss after pitching 3.0 innings in the start. He allowed five runs (4 ER) on five hits with two walks and a strikeout. Thomas Dean pitched the next 5.0 innings and struck out four and surrendered three runs. Will Hicks pitched a complete game and allowed four runs (2 ER) on seven hits with eight walks and four strikeouts.
 
Manley was 2 for 4, while Kachler had one hit – a home run – with an RBI and two runs scored and a walk.
 
The two teams close out their three-game series tomorrow, March 31, afternoon beginning at 2 pm at Armstrong-Shelley Field.