FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. Falling short in two games on Tuesday, the Methodist softball team suffered its first pair of defeats in conference play, losing twice to the Meredith College Avenging Angels. The Monarchs came one run short in the first outing before being outpaced by six runs in game two.
THE ESSENTIALS
Final scores: Meredith def. Methodist, 3–2; Meredith def. Methodist, 9–3
Records: Methodist 9–15 (2–2 USA South); Meredith 14–15 (5–3 USA South)
Location: Price Field; Fayetteville, North Carolina
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- With the game scoreless through two innings, the Meredith bats caught fire in the top of the third with back–to–back singles to lead off the inning. Capitalizing off a Methodist error, the visitors scored three runs — two of which were unearned — with a total of four hits during the frame.
- Hannah Lovick logged a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the third inning, then stole second base. After advancing to third on a passed ball, she was brought home on a Rachel Blanchard sacrifice fly, scoring the first run for Methodist.
- Kiersten Margoupis held Meredith's batters to just three hits across the final four innings, giving her team a chance in the final frame. A strong effort by the Monarchs scored Bailey Snow and saw the tying run reach third base with the winning run on first, but the rally ended early and Methodist dropped the game 3–2.
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- Meredith captured a 3–0 lead through an inning and a half, which Methodist answered by scoring once in the bottom of the second.
- Things got dicey for the Monarchs in the top of the third when six of the first seven Avenging Angels to step up to the plate reached base. Mia Wraight entered for Emma Neeley in the pitcher's circle to finish out the frame, but the visitors boasted a 7–1 advantage by the time the bottom of the inning came around.
- Blanchard walked and stole second base before eventually scoring (unearned) in the bottom of the third to cut the difference to five runs, marking the second inning in a row in which the Monarchs managed to score a run without recording a hit.
- Methodist's first hit of the game came off the bat of Lovick, who led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a triple that bounced to the right–field corner. Alyssa Rivas was able to bat Lovick home, making the score 7–3, but the Monarchs were unable to score any more runs. Meredith added two insurance runs in the sixth inning.
NUMBERS
- With today's second–game performance, the Monarchs recorded fewer hits (2) than runs (3) in a game for the first time this season. The Avenging Angels totaled four errors during the contest, while the Monarchs drew four walks to add to their base runners.
- Grace Hobbs was the lone Methodist player to record multiple hits on the day as she batted 2–for–2 with a walk in Tuesday's first game. Lovick was the only Monarch to score in both contests.
- Margoupis pitched the final 1.2 innings of the second game after tossing a complete game in the first matchup of the day. In total, she conceded just one earned run on the afternoon.
UP NEXT
Methodist is back at home on Saturday when the Monarchs host Greensboro College for a USA South doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
