FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist baseball prevailed in both ends of a USA South Athletic Conference doubleheader against visiting Brevard College on Saturday, winning the first game, 12-4 and winning the nightcap, 6-2.
Alex Kachler was phenomenal in Game 1, finishing a homerun shy of a cycle. Instead of a homerun, he hit two doubles in the game, in addition to four RBIs and three runs scored.
In the second game,
Tristen Luck was the man of the match as he kept the Tornados swinging and missing. Luck pitched seven innings and allowed only three hits and two earned runs with seven strikeouts.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final score: Methodist def. Brevard, 12-4, Methodist def. Brevard, 6-2
Records: Methodist 23-6 (13-4 USA South), Brevard 6-22 (1-18)
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, N.C.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth, the Monarchs scored four runs in the inning to take control of the game. When the Monarch offense finally woke up, it was runs galore. Methodist scored all 12 of its runs in the final four innings.
- Methodist continued its "runs-in-bunches" method by scoring its six runs over four consecutive innings in the second game. A Matthias Carter sacrifice fly and a Jacob Austin single scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning. The Monarchs tacked on one run in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
- After the Monarchs went scoreless with only two hits through the first four innings of Game 1, Kachler ignited the Methodist offense. His double in the fifth scored two to cut the deficit to 4-2. He returned with a one-RBI triple in the sixth and a one-RBI double in the seventh.
- Tucker Criswell's two-RBI homerun in the eighth was the cherry on top, extending the lead to 12-4.
- Brevard had taken a 2-0 lead in the third inning of Game 1 and extended the lead in the fifth with a two-RBI homerun to left field from JJ Wilkes.
- Wilkes returned in the nightcap with a two-RBI double in the fourth to cut the deficit to 3-2. After three hits in the inning, the Tornados tallied just four hits in the other eight while being held scoreless the rest of the way, as well.
STAT FACTS
- Will Walker and Ricky Cameron each pitched four innings and each gave up two earned runs in the first game. Cameron earned the win in relief. He also had four strikeouts.
- The Monarchs drew 10 walks in Game 1 with Carter and Rob Wilkerson leading the charge with two walks a piece.
- Jacob Austin was the "Robin" to Kachler's "Batman" in the game with two hits, two runs scored, a walk, and a RBI.
- Five stolen bases, including two by Clay Richardson helped mitigate the fact that only Ethan Carmack (triple) had an extra-base hit in the nightcap.
- McKinley Strickland and Carmack led Game 2 with two hits each. Strickland also had a hit, a walk, and a RBI in the first game.
- Despite 12 hits in Game 1, including three hits each from Jason Jucker and Wilkes, the Tornados could only muster four runs as they left eight men stranded.
UP NEXT
- Methodist and Brevard College finishes up their three-game conference series Sunday at 1 p.m. back at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
- The Monarchs travel to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on Tuesday to take on Mary Washington at 3:30 p.m. in a non-conference matchup.
