FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Methodist baseball welcomed Mary Baldwin University to Armstrong-Shelley field on Saturday for a USA South Athletic Conference doubleheader. The Monarchs claimed both contests, 8-2 & 18-5, over the Fighting Squirrels.
Hunter Hollman's 8 runs batted in performance in Game 2 tied the single-game record for the most RBIs. It was last done by MU alum Mike Currie in 1982.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: Methodist def. Mary Baldwin, 8-2; Methodist def. Mary Baldwin, 18-5
Records: Methodist 16-9 (6-2 USA South), Mary Baldwin 4-19 (1-7)
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED
- In the third inning, Mary Baldwin scored first, off a sacrifice fly, for the early 1-0 lead. That was short lived as Jacob Austin put Methodist in front with a 2 RBI single.
- That would not be the only runs scored this inning as Spencer Nelson drove in two more followed by Stancil Bowles and Gavin Wheeler forcing in one more each. An inning later, Austin brought in another run to make it 7-1.
- The Fighting Squirrels tacked on their final run, of Game 1, during the fifth with an RBI single. The Monarchs final run came off an unusual play as Christian Yarbrough stole second, he was hit by the ball and got sent to the outfield. From there the speedy outfielder booked it all the way to home plate for the 8-2 score.
- Game 2 saw Methodist's offense in full swing with their first at-bats. First Nelson knocked in the first run with a single followed by a three-run homer by Wesley Hall.
- The first inning was not over yet as the Monarchs loaded the bases with Hollman coming to the plate. He got a hold of one and sent it over the fence for a grand slam to make it 8-0 by the time inning one concluded.
- After Methodist added on two more runs, Mary Baldwin got more within striking distance of making it a game. The Fighting Squirrels scored three runs in fourth and two more in the seventh to put the score at 10-5.
- The Monarchs put the contest out of reach and force the conference mercy rule when they scored four runs in both the next two innings. In the seventh, Yarbrough bunt singled a run before Austin connected on Methodist's second 3-run home run.
- In the eighth, Hollman once again came up to the plate with bases juiced. He found a pitch he liked and turned on it for his second grand slam of the game.
STAT FACTS
- Hollman went 2 for 4 with 8 RBIs and came around three times in Game 2 of career day.
- On a special note, Austin's homer in the second game was his 200th career hit in a Monarch uniform. He also went 5 for 10 with 6 RBIs and scored four times, while swiping three bags in both games combined.
- Methodist got a great showing from the one-two punch of William St. Leger and Andrew Baur from the first game. St. Leger pitched six quality innings giving up two runs and struck out seven before Baur closed the door in his three innings of work by not allowing any hits and getting three strikeouts.
UP NEXT
These two teams face-off with one another, on April 3, in the final meeting of this three-game series with first pitch at 1 p.m.
