STAUNTON, Va. Methodist's bats seem to have warmed up with the weather — perhaps even moving from warm to blazing hot — as the Monarchs swept a USA South Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader Tuesday at Mary Baldwin University by the scores of 15-2 and 20-0.
Both games ended after five innings.
Fighting Squirrels pitching was no match for the Monarch lineup, in particular against
Rob Wilkerson who will enjoy some well-deserved rest on the bus ride home following a 7-for-9 afternoon that produced six RBIs, six runs scored, a double and a solo home run.
Meanwhile, Methodist pitching was shut-down all afternoon as
Will Walker earned the Game 1 win with four innings of two-run baseball, and
Ryan Hill and
Tyler Johnson combined for a no-hitter in the nightcap. Hill earned the victory with 4.0 innings on the mound, walking one and fanning two.
JUST THE FACTS
Final scores: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin 15-2 (5 Inn.), Methodist def. Mary Baldwin 20-0 (5 Inn.)
Records: Methodist 11-13 (4-4 USA South), Mary Baldwin 0-6 (0-2)
Location: John Moxie Memorial Stadium; Staunton, Va.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Quickly. Methodist sent 13 batters to the plate in an eight-run first inning in the opener, and 16 batters into the box during an 11-run second inning in Game 2.
- In that opening frame of Game 1, the Monarchs led off with a Will Dagenhart single, and then the fun began.
- Christian Yarbrough tripled, scoring Dagenhart, and Yarbrough was able to continue home on the play via an MBU error. Wilkerson stepped into the box next and bashed a solo home run, followed by a Jordan Cassell solo homer.
- Later in the frame, Dagenhart added another RBI with a single that scored Ryan Hill, and Wilkerson picked up two more RBIs with a single that plated Josh Lallo and Dagenhart.
- By the end of the frame the Monarchs led 8-0, then added two more in the top of the second and five more in the fourth, which was ignited by a Zachary Ritter lead-off home run. Wilkerson collected two more RBI in the fourth with a double that scored Yarbrough and Dagenhart.
- Walker scattered seven hits in his four innings on the mound, allowing one walk and two runs against three strikeouts.
- The nightcap started 'slowly' for Methodist with only two runs in the top of the first. The first of those runs, however, was a lead-off home run by Dagenhart.
- The second inning was when things exploded for the Monarchs as Spencer Nelson led off the frame with a solo home run.
- Eventually a sacrifice bunt and a sac fly scored two more runs, but produced two outs. That didn't matter though as the Monarchs would go on to score eight more runs while avoiding an inning-ending out.
- Wilkerson had an RBI single in the frame and Wesley Hall raced around for a two-RBI triple, followed by an RBI double from Nelson with his second hit in the inning.
- Hunter Hollman continued the onslaught with a two-run home run before Dagenhart and Yarbrough would add RBI hits for the final two runs of the 11-run frame.
- The Monarch bats weren't quiet after that second-inning barrage either, as the produced two runs in both the third and fourth innings, and three more in the fifth.
- On the flip side, Hill was dealing on the mound for Methodist, the starter allowing just one baserunner, via a walk, while striking out a pair. He handed the ball off to Johnson to start the bottom of the fifth and the freshman lefty completed the no-hitter, though allowing two walks in the frame.
EVEN MORE
- Methodist amassed 36 hits over just 10 innings of action, collecting 16 extra-base hits: 8 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs.
- Putting pressure on the MBU pitchers were the Monarch baserunners, who ended the afternoon with six stolen bases, three by Wilkerson in Game 2.
- The 2021 season is the first for the Mary Baldwin baseball program.
NEXT UP
- Methodist will welcome Greensboro College to Armstrong-Shelley Field for a three-game conference set over the weekend. The teams will play a single game Saturday at 2 p.m., and a doubleheader on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
- Mary Baldwin will follow the same schedule on Saturday and Sunday, entertaining William Peace University in a three-game USA South series.