FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Methodist took a pair of non-conference softball wins from visiting Fairleigh Dickinson (N.J.) University–Florham Saturday afternoon, scratching out a 2-0 win in the opener before completing the sweep with a 3-1 Game 2 victory at Price Field.

Monarch starting pitching -- Brittany Jones in Game 1 and Jordyn Propst in the nightcap -- went the distance in both contests.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Methodist def. FDU–Florham, 2-0; Methodist def. FDU–Florham, 3-1
Records: Methodist 9-7, FDU–Florham 0-4
Location: Price Field; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The opener was all about Jones' pitching gem and getting just enough support to reward the starter.
• The only run Jones would need came in the bottom of the first inning, initiated by a lead-off single from Bethany Junker. A sacrifice bunt would move her up a base into scoring position, from where she was easily able to complete the circuit on Heather Tsapp's one-out, RBI-double into the left-center field gap.
• Jones sailed along from the circle, then got an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Sara Darling led off the frame with a double into left-center, then moved up to third on a well-place infield ground out. A pop-up second out endangered the good start to the inning, but Sarah Davis didn't let the opportunity to go waste, cranking an RBI single that score Darling for a 2-0 Methodist lead.
• The win wasn't without it's late-inning edge, however, as Jones worked out of a bases-loaded two-out jam in the top of the seventh, inducing a game-ending groundout to Kelsey Smith at first base to extinguish the threat.
• Propst had just as good of an outing in Game 2 as Jones did in the opener.
• The only blemish came in the top of the first inning when the Devils scored an unearned run to take their first lead of the day.
• FDU enjoyed their slim advantage until the fourth inning, when the Monarchs pushed two across to take the lead.
• A Devil mistake in the field allowed lead-off batter Maria Kollar to earn a spot on the bases. She promptly stole second and then moved to third on a fielder's choice at-bat by Smith that saw no outs recorded.
• Taylor Jacobs singled, moving Smith to second, but the Devils -- for the moment -- prevented Kollar from traveling home from third.
• That happened in the next at-bat, however, as Propst helped herself with a single through the middle that plated Kollar and moved Smith and Jacobs up.
• Darling earned an RBI when she was hit by a pitch, moving all the runners along including Smith who scored the go-ahead run.
• Helping herself one more time, Propst singled in Smith in the bottom of the sixth for the game's final run.

BOX NOTES

• Jones moved to 4-4 with her shutout victory, scattering seven hits, walking just one and fanning five over her seven innings of work. She also kept away from dangerous situations all afternoon, inducing eight infield groundouts.
• Propst allowed just six hits and the unearned run in her complete-game victory. She walked two but also struck out a pair to move to 2-1 on the season.
• All four pitchers -- including FDU's Ciara Hoffman and Kaleigh Oplinger -- were solid all afternoon. Junker was the only Monarch batter to accumulate more than one hit in the opener against Hoffman, and Taylor Jacobs and Propst were the only Methodist batters to have a multi-hit game against Oplinger in Game 2.

UP NEXT
Methodist leaps into USA South Athletic Conference action in its next series, welcoming Averett University to Price Field on Tuesday for a doubleheader that begins at 3 p.m.