DANVILLE, Va. -- The No. 11 Methodist University baseball team swept a doubleheader with Averett at Owen-Fulton Field on Friday.
 
The Monarchs (24-7, 13-3 USA South) used a go-ahead home run by Tucker Criswell in the top of the ninth inning to take a 7-6 win in game one before dropping the Cougars (10-26, 4-13) 12-4 in the night cap.
 
In game one, MU assumed a 2-0 lead in the third frame. Parker Clayton started the inning with a single and stole second before moving to third on a single by Matthias Carter. Clayton scored when Carter stole second and came across home plate on an error, 1-0. Ethan Carmack singled home Carter on a bunt during the same at-bat to set the score at 2-0.
 
The Cougars responded in the home half of the third after plating three runs on five hits. AU hit three-straight singles before a sac fly scored a run, followed by back-to-back RBI singles, 3-2. Elliot Manley started off the seventh with a walk and advanced on a sac bunt. Carmack struck an RBI double to tie the game before Alex Kachler hit an RBI double of his own to give MU a 4-3 lead. After a pitching change, Will May lined a single up the middle to score Kachler and give the Monarchs a 5-3 advantage.
 
Averett struck back with a three spot in the same frame to take the lead, once again. Two singles and a a walk loaded the bases for a two-run single, 5-5. After a walk to load the bases again, Matt Tiggle struck out swinging, but a bases-loaded walk gave Averett a 6-5 lead.
 
The score remained the same in eighth before Kachler started the ninth inning with a single up the middle. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before Criswell belted his fourth home run of the season, a two-run blast, to put the Monarchs ahead 7-6. Will Walker retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to secure the victory.
 
Walker tossed 2.2 innings of relief and faced the minimum batters with two strikeouts to grab his second win of the year. Tyler Brown (ND) started on the hill and pitched 6.0 innings. He gave up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts for a no decision.
 
Ryan Traylor also started and struck out six batters in 6.1 innings and yielded five runs on nine hits. Tanner Bradshaw tossed the final 2.2 innings and received the loss after giving up two runs on four hits.
 
May was 3 for 4 with an RBI and a double, while four Monarchs recorded two hits. For the cougars, three players had two hits, including Kyle Vidano who scored two runs.
 
In the second half of the twinbill, the Monarchs scored four runs on four hits in the opening half inning, including an RBI triple by Carmack and an RBI single from Jacob Austin. MU also scored three runs in the second inning to take a 7-0 lead. Averett cut into the lead with two runs in the home half of the inning, 7-2.
 
Austin bunted in another run in the fourth before Methodist put up three more in the fifth on an error, a wild pitch and a sac fly, 11-2. The Cougars plated a run in the fifth, but MU scored again in the seventh to go up 12-3. Averett added one more in the eighth, but could not close the eight-run deficit.
 
Seth Beard (1-0) pitched 5.0 innings and yielded three runs (1 ER) on four hits, while striking out seven batters to pick up his first win of the season. Logan Haines tossed 2.0 innings of relief and did not allow a run.
 
Matt Tuggle start but only pitched 2.0 innings and gave up seven runs (4 ER) on five hits with three walks. Four pitchers saw the hill for the Cougars.
 
Five Monarchs registered two hits as the team combined for 12 hits in the victory. Carmack finished with three RBI and two runs scored, while Carter scored four times. Manley had one hit and scored twice while also stealing three bases. Davis Cass went 2 for 3 with a run scored and a double.
 
The two sides close out USA South action on Sunday, April 8, at Owen-Fulton Field.