FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.  Hosting the Blazers of Hood College for two seven–innings games on Friday, the Methodist baseball team collected back–to–back shutout victories to move to 3–1 on the season. While the pitching staff was on point, the Monarchs also did their job offensively, scoring 17 runs on the afternoon.

THE ESSENTIALS
Final results: Methodist def. Hood, 14-0; Methodist def. Hood, 3-0
Records: Methodist 3-1, Hood 0-2
Location: Armstrong-Shelley Field; Fayetteville, N.C.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• After two and a half scoreless innings, the Monarchs got on the board first as Austin Rinzel and Brandon Mauger crossed home plate on separate wild pitches.
• In the bottom of the fifth, four hits by Methodist and two errors by Hood led to five addition runs for the home team. Banks Hartman, Caleb Greene and Blake Freeman all recorded RBI singles during the inning. The Monarchs continued to tee off in the sixth, producing five hits (while also taking advantage of two more Hood errors) as they scored a whopping seven runs.
• Kyle Molivas earned the win after tossing five scoreless frames, while Andrew Bubon and Anthony Sarbanes each pitched in an inning to complete the shutout. The trio combined for nine strikeouts and allowed just four hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Two Monarchs scored on a throwing error in the bottom of the first inning before Tristen Melvin batted in a third run. All three runs were considered unearned.
• In his second collegiate appearance, Ian Swanson picked up where he left off, continuing to fan batter after batter. The freshman spent five innings on the mound, amassing six strikeouts while allowing just two hits. In his relief, Andrew Baur conceded just one hit over the final two innings.
• Methodist did not record another multi–hit inning on the day, though Parker Evans recorded the team's only extra–base hit of the game with a double to left–center field during the fifth inning.

 
STAT FACTS

• Of the team's 17 runs scored, just four were considered earned. The Monarchs capitalized on seven errors by Hood across the two contests.
• Through eight innings pitched on the season, Swanson's ERA remains at a perfect 0.00. The right–handed pitcher now has 13 strikeouts to his name.
• After not appearing in the first game on Friday, Melvin went 3–for–3 at the plate in game two, earning the only RBI of the ballgame.

UP NEXT
The Monarchs face the Blazers at home once more on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.