FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist routed visiting Bridgewater (Va.) College by scoring an early-season-high 13 runs on the final day of the 2019 Diamond Invitational at Armstrong-Shelley Field. The Monarchs won the game 13-0.

The pitching efforts of Tristen Luck (pitched six innings and earned the win), Hunter Barnes, Nathan Cockman, and Eli Futrell led to a combined shutout, the first team shutout since March 10 of last season.

Alex Kachler led the Monarchs with two hits in four at-bats and Matthias Carter drew three walks and scored twice.

JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Bridgewater (Va.), 13-0
Records: Methodist 4-1, Bridgewater 0-2
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Freshman Wesley Hall has something to write back home to Mt. Holly about because in his first collegiate at-bat, Hall doubled to right center and drove in two runs. In the next at-bat, Will Dagenhart's single sent Hall across home plate. Those two plays accounted for three of the five runs the Monarchs added in the eighth inning.
• Methodist put its first points on the board with a three-run second inning. Rob Wilkerson sacrifice's fly brought home Jacob Austin for the first run of the day and a throwing error by the Eagles' third baseman led directly to a Parker Clayton score and allowed Matthias Carter the chance to steal home after what should have been the third out.
• It was not a good day to be an Eagles' pitcher as the fourth inning started off: walk, walk, wild pitch, single, and double, ultimately resulting in the four runs. The Monarchs used the four runs scored in the fourth inning to put distance between themselves and Bridgewater. In the fifth, Clayton advanced home because of a balk.
• At one point, Bridgewater did have the bases loaded but Clay Richardson's coverage as centerfielder is outstanding and he tracked down the fly ball to the left center for the third out.
• With seven men left on base in the game, the Eagles are probably upset they were unable to bring any runs across.

STAT FACTS

• Tristen Luck earned the win as the starting pitcher by pitching six scoreless innings and allowing only five hits. Through his first five innings, Luck was even more dominant, giving up only two hits and two walks.
• Barnes, Cockman, and Futrell combined to give up only one hit across and they each had two strikeouts in their inning of work.
• With his two-RBI double, Hall led the Monarchs in runs batted in and he also drew a walk and had a steal.
• In addition to the season-high in runs scored, the Monarchs also set an early season-high with eight walks drawn.
• Eleven different Monarchs logged hits and eleven different players scored a run. Six different Bridgewater players earned a hit.

NEXT UP
Methodist hosts University of Mary Washington on Wednesday in a non-conference game that begins at 3 p.m.