DANVILLE, Va. -- The No. 11 Methodist University baseball team picked up its 25th win of the season as it defeated Averett, 11-6, and claimed the USA South regular season championship at Owen-Fulton Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Monarchs (25-7, 14-3 USA South) scored in the opening frame as Matthias Carter started the game with a single to right center. Ethan Carmack moved Carter to second on a sac bunt before he came around to score on an RBI double by Alex Kachler, 1-0. MU added another run in the second on an RBI single by Elliot Manley to score Parker Clayton, 2-0.
 
MU plated seven runs in the third inning after sending 11 batters to the plate. Kachler led off with a double and scored on a two run single by Tucker Criswell, which also scored Will May, 4-0. After a pitching change, Jacob Austin dropped down a bunt that eventually sent Criswell home after an error, 5-0. Carter laced a one-out, two-run double to right-center before Kachler capped the scoring with an RBI single, 9-0. In the fourth frame, Austin singled home Criswell to extend the lead to 10-0.
 
Averett scored twice in the bottom of the fourth on a sac fly and a two-out RBI single, 10-2. In the following frame, the Cougars closed the gap even more as they added three runs on a pair of hits, 10-5, and scored again in the seventh to set the score at 10-6. The Monarchs tallied one more run in the ninth as May drew a bases loaded walk to meet the final score of 11-6.
 
Carter, Kachler and Austin each finished with three hits, while Carter drove in two runs and scored twice. Kachler had two RBI and a run scored with two doubles, while Manley was 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
 
Bradley Tickle was 3 for 4 with a run scored and a walk, while Dallas Smithers had one hit, but drove in three runs and scored once.
 
Tristen Luck (6-2) allowed five runs on six hits with three striekouts, while Logan Haines allowed just one unearned run in 3.0 innings of relief. Kevin Williams finished the game on the mound and scattered just one hit and struck out two batters.
 
Dallas Smithers (2-5) was saddled with the loss after surrendering five runs on seven hits in just 2.0 innings.
 
Methodist returns to action in the USA South Tournament later this week.
 
 
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