FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Even though the no-hitter Jordan Propst was spinning was spoiled in the seventh inning against visiting Berea, she still earned the win in a 6-1 victory over the Mountaineers in the second game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Monarchs avenged a 2-1 loss in the first game of the doubleheader.
Propst's no-hitter was lost in the first at-bat of the seventh inning. She pitched a complete game while allowing only one run, two hits, and two walks. The pitching in Game 1 was good, as well.
Brittany Jones tossed a complete game with six strikeouts while allowing only five hits, two earned runs, and a walk.
In the Maryville-Methodist matchup, play resumed from the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. At the time of the game being postponed, Maryville was leading 9-2 in the top of fifth and the Scots returned Saturday night to finish with a five inning, 12-4 victory.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Berea def. Methodist, 2-1; Methodist def. Berea 6-1; Maryville (Tenn.) def. Methodist, 12-4 (5)
Records: Methodist 7-13, Berea 5-7, Maryville (Tenn.) 8-6
Location: Don Price Field; Fayetteville, N.C.
Note: Maryville vs. Methodist resumed from Saturday's rain delay.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Propst's no-hitter was ruined by Audreonna Lindsey's double in the first at-bat of the seventh inning. Lindsey also ruined the shutout, advancing on two consecutive groundouts and scoring the only Berea run.
- The Monarchs took a 2-0 lead to start the second game when an error turned what should have been a third out into Kelsey Smith reaching first and advancing all the way to third. Bethany Junker scored in the process and in the next at-bat, Ashley Benge singled to score Smith.
- Methodist improved its advantage with a three-run third inning and tacked on its final run in the sixth.
- In Game 1, Kelsey Smith bringing home Blythe Best in the first inning stood as the only score in a 1-0 contest until Berea was able to bring two runs across the plate, thanks to a triple and a double in the fourth.
- The Monarchs had chances to either tie or win in both the sixth and seventh innings. Methodist had runners on first and second with one out in both but finished the innings with two runners stranded each time.
- The Monarch offense got a boost from the postponement. The first four batters in the bottom of the fifth got on base, helping to add two more runs but it was not enough to bring a stop to mercy as Maryville previously tacked on another three runs after play resumed.
STAT FACTS
- Runners stranded were the difference in both of the losses Saturday. The five hits and seven walks by the Monarchs resulted in only one run and ten players left on base. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers converted two runs from five hits and a walk. In the Maryville game, Methodist stranded seven compared to three for Berea. In Game 2, Methodist cut down their LOB number to five and earned the win.
- Bethany Junker led the Monarchs at the plate by drawing three walks in Game 1.
- Junker and Ashley Benge each had a team-high two hits in the second game. Junker also scored twice.
- Between both games, Lindsey had a combined two hits, two runs scored, and a RBI and a walk.
- In the rescheduled game, Sara Darling finished with two walks and Best had two hits. For Maryville, Christina White had two hits, a walk, three RBIs, and scored three runs herself.
UP NEXT
- The Monarchs begin USA South Athletic Conference play Tuesday against N.C. Wesleyan, scheduled for 3 and 5 p.m.
- Berea continues its eight-game road trip with a Monday date against Mt. Saint Joseph at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
