MISENHEIMER, N.C.  Samantha Jacobs finished her afternoon with four hits, but her Methodist softball team dropped a pair of USA South Athletic Conference games, 9-1 and 8-0, to host Pfeiffer University Wednesday afternoon.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Pfeiffer def. Methodist 9-1 (5), Pfeiffer def. Methodist 8-0 (5)
Records: Methodist 8-18 (1-5 USA South), Pfeiffer 23-3 (6-2)
Location: Jack Ingram Field; Misenheimer, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Jacobs sparked the Monarchs to their first lead of the afternoon with a lead-off double down the right field line to begin Game 1.
• A Blythe Best single through the left side moved Jacobs over to third where, two batters later, she raced home for the first run of the afternoon on Kelsey Smith's sacrifice fly to right field.
• The advantage would not last long, though, as Pfeiffer seized a 3-1 lead in just five batters in the bottom of the frame, and would go on to push nine runs across in its big inning.
• Methodist would leave two runners stranded in the second, one more in the third, and hit into a double-play after a leadoff single by Jacobs had started the fifth inning.
• Pfeiffer did its damage early off, but Brittany Jones come on in relief to start the second and held the Falcons scoreless over three innings of work in which she allowed just two hits and a pair of walks while striking out three.
• Pfeiffer put up crooked numbers in the second and fourth innings to forge a 7-0 lead in Game 2. Methodist, meanwhile, was limited to only three hits in the game.
• Jacobs led off the game with a single up the middle, and moved over a base on Bethany Junker's one-out single, but the duo were left stranded on the base paths.
• The only other Monarch hit of the nightcap came in the top of the third when, following a leadoff walk and a fielder's choice, Best belted a double into the left-center field gap. Both runners were left stranded in scoring position while Methodist trailed by just a 3-0 count.
• A four-run fourth padded the Falcons' lead, and a run in the bottom of the fifth ended the game via run rule.

FIGURES

• Jacobs collected four of Methodist's eight hits in the afternoon.
• Smith earned the Monarchs' lone RBI with her sac fly in Game 1.
• Of Pfeiffer's 17 runs, 16 were earned runs off Methodist pitchers.

UP NEXT

• The Monarchs host Guilford College Thursday at Price Field in a thrice-rescheduled non-conference doubleheader.
• Pfeiffer hosts N.C. Wesleyan in a league doubleheader Saturday afternoon.