GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas   Things could not have gone more smoothly for Methodist baseball as the Monarchs routed Hardin-Simmons University, 14-3, on the second day of the Rusty Greer/Jackie Moore Collegiate Classic.

Batting, pitching, fielding, it all went right for Methodist, or wrong for Hardin-Simmons. The Monarchs' bats came alive with a whopping 15 hits. Alex Kachler went 4-of-5 with two doubles plus a walk, and Christian Yarbrough was 3-for-3 with two walks. On the mound, Tyler Brown was dominant, allowing just two earned runs and six hits in seven innings. Meanwhile, the Cowboys' fielding was atrocious, as Hardin-Simmons committed six errors.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Methodist def. Hardin-Simmons, 14-3
Records: Methodist 1-1, Hardin-Simmons 0-2
Location: Air Hog Stadium; Grand Prairie, Texas

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The third and fifth innings were especially awful for Hardin-Simmons and Methodist took advantage of the poor pitching and fielding from the Cowboys. The Monarchs scored seven runs off of just three hits. In the two innings combined, the Cowboys committed four errors and hit two Methodist batters while allowing three stolen bases and three walks.
• Yarbrough broke the 1-1 tie in the third after a Matthias Carter single. Yarbrough had led off the inning with a walk, stole second, and made it to third after a throwing error. Runs by Wesley Hall and Carter were unearned in the inning after another Hardin-Simmons error should have resulted in the third out.
• Kachler belted a double to lead things off in the fifth. He scored from second after an error from the Cowboys' third baseman. Consecutive hit by pitches scored two more runs to make it a 8-1 game before the pop-up for the official third out with the bases loaded.
• The Monarchs did not slow on the gas, adding a trio of runs in the sixth and eighth innings. In the sixth, Methodist made its mark by putting the ball in play. Tucker Criswell started it off with a double, followed by singles from Clay Richardson, Yarbrough, and Carter.
• Four hits and another Cowboys' error resulted in the three runs in the eighth by Methodist.
• Hardin-Simmons found some offense late, converting five hits into two runs combined in the sixth and seventh innings.

STAT FACTS

• Carter and Richardson were the other Monarchs to register multiple hits. Carter, in particular, had a field day, finishing with a statline of two-of-four with a team-high three RBIs, plus two runs scored and a walk.
• Nathan Cockman and Tanner Freeland took care of business by not allowing a run in relief to avoid any potential Hardin-Simmons miracles. Cockman earned two strikeouts in his three outs of action.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs play 22-ranked Texas Lutheran University Sunday at 12 p.m. on the final day of the Rusty Greer/Jackie Moore Classic.