FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Looking to avenge a Saturday loss to the Battling Bishops, the Methodist baseball team took on 25th-ranked North Carolina Wesleyan in two games on Sunday. However, the high-octane offense of N.C. Wesleyan proved to be too potent, taxing Methodist pitchers for 13 runs in game one and another 12 runs in game two, leading to two losses for the Monarchs.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: N.C. Wesleyan def. Methodist, 13-6; N.C. Wesleyan def. Methodist 12-6
Records: Methodist 15-18 (7-8 USA South), North Carolina Wesleyan 22-9 (12-3)
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME ONE
- Josh Plisko took the mound for Methodist, dealing two strikeouts before walking a batter to load the bases. The next two batters each produced a 2-RBI single, giving the Battling Bishops an early 4-0 advantage.
- Methodist answered with a four-run first inning of its own. A 2-RBI single by Brandon Mauger got the Monarchs on the board, then a 2-RBI single for Tristen Melvin tied the game.
- A two-run homer by Davie Morgan gave the visitors a 6-4 lead in the top of the third, and the Battling Bishops scored a seventh run in the top of the fourth.
- Fighting to hang close, the Monarchs responded in the bottom of the fourth, scoring on two plays where the ball did not leave the infield.
- The Battling Bishops would continue to score, but Andrew Tubb took the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning and made sure that Methodist added no more runs to its total. Tubb finished the final five innings, tossing six strikeouts and conceding just one hit.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME TWO
- In just the second at-bat of the game, Tyson Bass got the scoring started with a solo shot to left-center field. In the bottom of the first inning, Methodist put runners on second and third but was unable to drive in a run.
- The Battling Bishops rallied in the third inning for five runs, taking a 6-0 advantage. In the bottom of the third, Banks Engle doubled to drive in two runs and make the score 6-2.
- Chipping away at the N.C. Wesleyan lead, the Monarchs scored one run in the fourth and one in the sixth to pull within two. But just as the momentum seemed to be slowly shifting in favor of Methodist, the Battling Bishops put up three runs in the top of the seventh, making the score 9-4.
- Another RBI double for Banks Engle gave Methodist its fifth run of the contest, but the Battling Bishops refused to stop scoring runs, keeping the deficit too large for a Monarch comeback.
STAT FACTS
- N.C. Wesleyan scored in seven out of nine innings in game one.
- The Battling Bishops scored a total of 40 runs on the weekend across three games at Armstrong-Shelley Field.
- The Battling Bishops have now won eight games in a row over the Monarchs.
UP NEXT
Methodist hosts Guilford on Tuesday for a standalone contest at 4 p.m. It's the final non-conference game on the schedule for the Monarchs and their final midweek matchup as well.